The African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) – Discussing the Remaining Challenges

This report seeks to analyse the current status of the African security structure, with a particular focus on discussing remaining challenges within the central institutions that compose APSA. The report concludes that the greatest impediment to the continued development of APSA is funding. Relying so heavily on international donors is inherently risky, an issue of which the AU is very much aware of and is taking active steps to remedy. The following conclusions are reached about APSA institutions devoted to conflict prevention and management: The Panel of the Wise is an institution intended to bring issues of certain timely importance to the attention of the Peace and Security Council. This report finds limited support for the notion that the Panel provides an important function in this regard, nor does it believe it prudent to amend the mandate of the Panel to incorporate more of a mediating role without also adjusting the current format of the Panel. Although the Continental Early Warning System theoretically fills an important function within APSA, further development of the platform is unlikely to prevent conflict in the region. This is since such a system matters little if there is limited or no political will for an early response, which is frequently the case. The lacking political will to engage in conflict prevention at an early stage results in the African Standby Force (ASF) and African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC) becoming crucial instruments in the effort to provide "African solutions to African problems."