Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba – [email protected]
THE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Dr Frederick Shava yesterday called for the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF) which he said would benefit the continent by sustaining peace and enabling it to rapidly respond to conflicts.
Dr Shava said this while addressing the 1 159th virtual ministerial meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on the status of implementation of the Common African Defence and Security Policy, with special focus on the operationalisation of the ASF.
The AU-directed ASF has not been deployed since its establishment in 2003.
The inauguration of the first ASF continental logistics base in Douala, Cameroon, on January 5, 2018 was a positive step. The base is set to boost the AU’s capacity to provide logistical support to peace support operations.
“As you are aware, the Solemn Declaration on the Common African Defence and Security Policy identified the ASF as a key element of this policy, tasked with performing important functions related to preventive deployment, peace-building, post-conflict disarmament and demobilisation and humanitarian assistance. The ASF therefore plays a vital role in ensuring peace and security across Africa and is an indispensable aspect of the Common African Defence and Security Policy,” said Dr Shava.
He said there are still areas of concern that require council’s continued engagement.
Minister Shava said the council has a responsibility to carefully reflect on the critical role that a well-funded ASF can play in tackling the growing challenges of peace and security on the continent and the importance of unpacking previous and on-going operations.
“It is against this background that Zimbabwe found it imperative to discuss this matter as operationalising the ASF will not only prevent conflicts from escalating but will also enhance regional co-operation and integration. By working together to address common security challenges, we can build trust and develop closer ties with one another. This will create a more stable and prosperous environment for our continent,” said Dr Shava.
He said the ASF as a multi-dimensional continental force with military, police, and civilian components, is to be placed on standby and made available to the AU by the respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) whenever there is need for its deployment.
Dr Shava said the presence of a well-trained and well-equipped force can serve as a deterrent to those who might be inclined to use violence to achieve their goals.
This, he said, can help to reduce the risk of conflict spreading and will ultimately save lives.
“It is therefore important for the Council to reaffirm the imperative of the full operationalisation of the ASF to enable rapid deployment and timeous intervention. It is heartening to note that there has been significant progress in the operationalisation of the ASF that requires our unwavering support. We have witnessed a growing interest by the AU, its RECs and Regional Mechanisms to deploy forces within the ASF framework to address the rise in security threats emerging on the continent. The strides made by the AU, its RECs and Regional Mechanisms towards the full operationalisation of the ASF notably in the areas of training, exercise, force generation and pledged capabilities are commendable,” said Dr Shava.
He said the conclusion and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the AU, its RECs and Regional Mechanisms on the deployment and employment of the ASF during the 15th Ordinary Meeting of the Specialised Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security on May 12 was a welcome development.
“It brought clarity among AU, its RECs and Regional Mechanisms and Member States on some of the strategic and political issues such as political decision making, mandating deployment and command and control of the forces,” said Dr Shava.
Another welcome development, he said, was the recent conclusion of the draft African Union Strategic Framework for Compliance and Accountability in Peace Support Operations; the draft African Union Policy on Protection of Civilians in Peace Support Operations and the draft African Union Policy on Selection and Screening of Personnel for Peace Support Operations by the 15th Ordinary Specialised Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security (STCDSS).
Dr Shava said progress has also been made in strategic support groups, strategic lift, command and control, communication and information systems as well as the ASF Continental Logistics Base in Doula, Cameroon.
“Though the RECs have made substantial progress towards actualising the mandate of the ASF, it is yet to attain the required rapid deployment capability. Consequently, this has limited the AU, its RECs and Regional Mechanisms from intervening in many conflict situations. Member States have also preferred to use capabilities that are closer to a crisis or are directly affected by it, to have more of a direct strategic interest in its resolution,” he said.
Dr Shava said the major hindrance to the operationalisation of the ASF has also been the uneven progress in its development in the five regional brigades due to several challenges.
“It is therefore important that the regions work together to coordinate and harmonise their capacities, operations and development. Furthermore, one of the challenges stalling the full operationalisation of the ASF appears to be inadequate political will,” he said.
Dr Shava said all the goodwill, enthusiasm, commitment and hope that came with the creation of the ASF seems to have slowly waned.
He said the inability of the RECs and Regional Mechanisms to exercise the required political will due to conflicting strategic interest of the member states, has continued to stall the full operationalisation of the ASF.
Dr Shava said the changing nature of the security environment has also, in a way, derailed the ASF project.
He said the new non-traditional threats which include terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime, climate change, smart technology, and pandemics, are generally non-military and transnational.
“These threats are continuously altering the conflict landscape in Africa thereby introducing new challenges to their prevention, management or resolution. Consequently, most security scenarios on the continent do not fit appropriately into the Africa peace and Security Architecture (APSA) framework, thereby hampering the preparedness of the ASF for deployment to these conflicts. There is, therefore, a need for the AU to reassess the conflict landscape and reorient the ASF to be fit for purpose,” said Dr Shava.
Furthermore, he said, there is an urgent need to strengthen the institutional framework outlining the statuses, responsibilities and relationship between the AU, its RECs and Regional Mechanisms concerning the ASF, to avoid any ambiguity, overlap and wasteful duplication.
“The lack of predictable, adequate, and sustainable funding is a serious challenge that has adversely affected the effective utilisation of the ASF. This challenge is recurrent in the implementation of various Peace Support Operations (PSOs) and ASF-related activities, including training, exercises, force generation, deployment, sustenance, management and liquidation of missions,” said Dr Shava.
He said the over-dependence on external partners and the reduction in the inflow of external donations have had a crippling effect on the capacity of the AU, RECs and RMs to intervene effectively in peace support operations across the continent.
“The troops’ ability to respond swiftly is further impeded by the insufficient airlift capabilities, military equipment shortages as well as the lack of capability of the various militaries to deal adeptly with the individual crises. Whilst the AU Commission continues its engagement with the UN Security Council to access UN assessed contributions, it should also continue to explore other innovative ways to fund peace and security operations on the continent,” said Dr Shava.
Addressing the same meeting, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole
Adeoye said the focus of the operationalisation of the African Defence and Security Policy is timely.
“We are very pleased that the ASF will stand as a practical and operational tool designed to be readily available to be deployed in response to various conflicts on our continent. The AU commission stands ready and steadfast in supporting member states and regional economic forces in implementing this policy,” he said. @pchitumba1
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