Regional economic communities and peacebuilding in Africa

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Chapter Eight of the United Nations Charter recognises the option of regional institutions to take appropriate action over matters relating to international peace and security, provided such institutions and/or their activities are consistent with the purpose and principles of the UN. Africa since the end of the Cold War has recorded increased involvement of regional economic communities (RECs) in the peacebuilding process. Many issues, however, present themselves in the peacebuilding process and in other related interventions by external actors such as regional organisations. Dealing with these require that the peacebuilding process be guided by definite legal frameworks and clear normative standards. Many of the existing RECs had their original mandates tilted towards economic goals and objectives and less towards their new roles in peacebuilding. This paper explores the legal impetus supranationality gives to the African Union and other RECs in furtherance of the peacebuilding mandate. It demonstrates how the existing legal infrastructure puts African RECs at an advantage over United Nation agencies and other external actors in terms of right of access to the theatre of conflict, enforcement of ceasefire agreements, implementation of prevention and counter-violent-extremism strategies, discipline, and effective oversight of international personnel. It concludes that the future of peacebuilding in Africa depends on the transformation of Africans RECs from paper tigers to functional supranational institutions.