New paper on conflict management under the African Peace and Security Architecture

This Discussion Paper focuses on interventions in the areas of diplomacy, mediation and Peace Support Operations (PSOs) under the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). The research has brought to surface a number of interesting findings. Firstly, the various models of coordination and cooperation between the African Union and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (REC/RMs) and with international partners show a diverse and broadening cooperation. Yet, there is still room for improvement. The study also addresses the unresolved questions of subsidiarity, comparative advantages and division of labour between the AU and REC/RMs and how these factors impact AU and REC/RM interventions in violent conflicts. The analysis draws attention to the increased combination of the AU and REC/RMs instruments for conflict prevention and management -most commonly through mediation and diplomacy - and sheds light on the growing involvement of the AU and REC/RMs in mediation and preventive diplomacy in conflict-prone contexts. Finally, the Discussion Paper examines how AU member states balance principles of non-indifference and national sovereignty, and how this informs their decisions to intervene in violent conflicts under the umbrella of the APSA, with a focus on the role of regional powers and larger AU Member. This study is rooted in a longer-term engagement of ECDPM through the APSA Impact Analysis project, supported by the German government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at the University of Addis Ababa.