ASSESSING THE AFRICAN PEACE AND SECURITY ARCHITECTURE (APSA) FROM AN INSTITUTIONALIST APPROACH AND THE DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE IN AFRICA SINCE 2002

Abstract

The Africa Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) was instituted by the African Union (AU) in 2002 to uphold the AU’s rules, norms, objectives and principles on peace, security and stability in Africa. The APSA was also established to ensure that the behaviour of AU Member States conformed to these principles and norms. The APSA was to be the operational structure for the effective implementation of decisions taken on conflict prevention, peace-making, peace support operations, peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction. Its mandate reflected the shift to human security, which is widely accepted at the continental level. The APSA has dealt with issues relating to human development; promote democratic practices, good governance and respect for human rights, humanitarian action and the management of disaster. Within the framework of the neo-Institutionalist theory of integration, and with the use of secondary data, this paper hypothesis that the APSA is disadvantaged as a result of not fairly applying its rules across the board in Member States. The paper assesses the performance of the APSA since its inception. The paper gives an overview of the major components of the APSA, its legal framework as well as its successes, prospects and challenges. The major objective of the paper was to ascertain whether the APSA has made any difference in the area of peace, security and stability in Africa since its establishment. The paper found that despite the great strides made by the APSA in delivering on its mandate to promote peace, security and stability in Africa, its inability to apply the rules, principles, values and norms of the AU in a uniform manner to shape the behaviour of Member States puts it at a great disadvantage. For the APSA to effectively deal with conflicts in Africa, it is recommended that the AU develops and sustains a keen interest in the technical, human and financial resourcing of the APSA to enable it work optimally. The African Union is encouraged to allow the rules to work and applied uniformly to member states when they default. The AU should also continue to build and strengthen its partnerships with international organizations concerned with peace and stability in Africa.