African Peacekeeping and African Integration: Current Challenges

Keith Gottschalk

doi:10.22363/2313-0660-2020-20-4-678-686

Keith Gottschalk

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-0660-2020-20-4-678-686

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Abstract

Peacekeeping and economic union are the two most important dimensions of African integration. The first section of this article aims to analyse some current challenges to African peacekeeping, peacemaking, and African integration. The continuing Libyan civil war epitomizes the diplomatic stalemates and military stalemates which form the limits of current African peacekeeping. It exposes the North African Regional Capability and North African Standby Brigade as paper structures which do not exist operationally, and so limit the capacity of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. The military intervention of states outside Africa can polarize conflicts and escalate civil wars. Africa’s colonial epoch serves as a warning of the potential dangers of foreign military bases in Africa. In parts of West Africa, states sub-contract peacemaking and anti-terrorist operations to unsupervised local militias, which are lawless at best, and commit ethnic killings at worst. African integration fares better in the economic dimension. The second section analyses African integration, with its focus on the most recent step of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which starts to lay the cornerstone envisaged four decades ago in the Lagos Plan of Action, and three decades ago in the Abuja Treaty for an African Economic Community. The historic track record of African continental organizations indicates that a decade will be a realistic minimum period for it to be substantially implemented. The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System will help operationalize the AfCFTA by lowering forex currency transaction charges. Severe difficulties can be predicted for future attempts to upgrade the AfCFTA into a continental customs union, and ultimately into a continental common market.

Highlights

This article aims to analyse some current challenges to African peacekeeping and African integration
NATO states were able to play off the Arab League, wanting strong action against Gaddafi, against the African Union (AU), which sought to mediate between the Libyan ruler and the rebels in Benghazi
The South African Government voted for the UN Security Council resolution calling for protection of Libyans against Gaddafi’s repressions, which rapidly saw mission creep from NATO states [Murithi 2012: 97], culminating in the overthrow of Gaddafi

Summary

Introduction

This article aims to analyse some current challenges to African peacekeeping and African integration. One obvious reason is that Ethiopia hosts the headquarters of both the African Union, its Peace and Security Council, and more than one other affiliate Another example is the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the rate of filling of the newest dam on the Blue Nile river, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The U.S Government became involved in mediation negotiations well before the African Union. The African Union has attempted to negotiate[3] This is constrained by the fact that individual African governments have sympathies to different sides. The African Union sought to establish the North African Regional Capability (NARC) in 2007 This is responsible for deploying a North African Standby Brigade (NASBRIG) and runs a liaison office at the AU headquarters[4].

French Sources

Conclusions