Operationalising the African Standby Force: Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

The African Standby Force (ASF) is the implementation arm of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), a security arrangement between the AU and the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms to address the security challenges of the continent. However, the ASF is yet to be operationalised after almost two decades of its existence due to its inability to develop a rapid response capability. The challenges include the changing nature of the security environment, inadequate political will, weak institutional framework, and financial status of members. Nonetheless, there are still good prospects which could be explored to overcome the challenges of operationalising the ASF.