Introduction

The need for a common African defence and security policy was stressed during the Inaugural Summit of the AU held in Durban, South Africa, in July 2002, when the Assembly of Heads of State and Government deliberated the proposal of Libyan leader that Africa establishes a single continental army. The African leaders were also motivated to respond to the multifaceted challenges to stability, security and cooperation on the continent. It is in this context that the Constitutive Act of the AU in Article 4(d) calls for the establishment of a common defence policy for the African continent.

Tracing the Urge

The United Nations (UN) Charter provides the foundation for a broad and long-term approach to conflict prevention based on the wide concept of peace and security. Article 55 of the UN Charter unequivocally underscores that solutions to international economic, social, health and other related problems are all vital for the creation of conditions of stability and well being, which are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations.

Conflicts in Africa bear certain unique characteristics predominantly embedded in their root causes, intensity, duration (often too long), escalation and their propensity to spill over to neighbouring states. Although the recent creation of the AU PSC led to concerted efforts by African states to search for peace on the continent, the commitment of African people to mitigate their own conflicts is not a recent thing. The continent has been grappling with the issue since the beginning of the post-colonial period—with renewed vigour and determination every time yet the fruits have persistently remained elusive.

AU Peace and Security Council

The AU PSC was set up in July 2002 when the First Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, which is also the plenary organ of the organization, resolved to replace the OAU Central Organ with the Council. The PSC is therefore the standing decision-making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. The protocol establishing the PSC entered into force in December 2003. The PSC is composed of:

1. Panel of the Wise, which is a body that advises the council on issues relating to the maintenance and promotion of peace;
2. A continental Early Warning System, to facilitate anticipation and prevention of conflicts;
3. An African Standby Force (ASF)—a body of multidisciplinary military and civilian contingents for rapid deployment; and
4. A Special Fund to provide the financial resources for its activities.

The establishment of regional stand-by brigades

The rationale, based on past experience (notably in 1994 in Rwanda), is that in con-flict, time is of the essence if one is to prevent an emerging crisis from degenerating into a catastrophe. Under the UN peacekeeping structure, it takes on average three to six months from the time the UN Security Council decides to establish a peacekeeping mission until it is able to deploy such a mission.4 During this time period lives may be lost while the conflict escalates, spilling over to neighbouring regions.

The AU decision taken at its 2002 Durban summit to establish a PSC and an African Standby Force (ASF) for conducting peace support operations in the continent was there-fore forward looking. In its recommendations, the AU envisaged the development of an African common security policy by 2010 with the establishment of an ASF capable of rapid deployment. The ASF would comprise stand-by brigades in each of the five regions (south, east, north, west and central Africa).

The powers of the PSC are outlined in Article VII of the Protocol for the establishment of the PSC, and primary among them is the power to implement the common defence pol-icy for the AU within the context of the UN.

Pursuant to the AU 2002 Inaugural Summit at which African Heads of State and Government signed the Protocol for the establishment of the PSC, under which the ASF and the Military Staff Committee (MSC) were established, the AU prepared the Common African Defence and Security Policy Framework (CADSP) as well as the policy framework for the establishment of the ASF and the MSC. These were then considered by government experts, African Chiefs of Defence Staff (ACDS) and ministers of foreign affairs, defence and security.

In January 2004, the 4th Meeting of ACDS and experts was held in Addis Ababa and was immediately followed by the First Meeting of African Ministers of Defence and Security. The ACDS meeting focused on issues relating to the establishment of the ASF, the MSC and the CADSP, furthering the aims already pro-posed by, among others, the Second and Third meetings of the ACDS of 1997 and May 2003 respectively, which recommended that the AU Commission and the five regions pursue efforts to establish a standby brigade in each of the regions.

Eastern Africa Standby Brigade (EASBRIG)

In implementing the AU Commission’s requirements, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) convened the Jinja meeting of Experts in February 2004 on the establishment of the Eastern Africa Standby Brigade (EASBRIG). This was followed by a meeting of Eastern African Chiefs of Defence Staff (EACDS) from the Comoros (which sent a representative), Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda, the defence attaché of Tanzania, who attended as an observer and a representative from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). There were also observers from the Multinational Stand-by High Readiness Brigade for United Nations operations (SHIRBRIG) and Reinforcement of African Peacekeeping Capacity (RECAMP). It was noted that, once established, EASBRIG would encompass 13 east African countries. Hence, in addition to those mentioned above would be included Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

Mission scenarios

In order to assess fully and objectively the requirements for the establishment of EASBRIG, it is important to recall that the structures of the ASF are informed by missions and scenarios defined within the Third ACDS Policy Framework for the establishment of the ASF.

A Scenario 1 approach would entail provision of military advice to a political mission, as was the case in Côte d’Ivoire. Under Scenario 2, the AU or a regional observer mission is supposed to co-deploy with a UN mission, as was the case with the OAU/AU Liaison Mission in Ethiopia-Eritrea (OLMEE) or the Verification Monitoring Team (VMT) in the Sudan. A Scenario 3 mission is a stand-alone AU or regional observer mission, such as the AU Mission in Burundi (AMIB) or the AU Mission in the Comoros (AMIC). Scenario 4 entails an AU or regional peace-keeping force for Chapter VI and preventive deployment missions (and peace building), such as the AU Mission in Burundi (AMIB), while Scenario 5 means an AU peacekeeping force for complex multidimensional peace-keeping missions, including those involving low-level spoilers. A Scenario 6 mission would include intervention, for example, in genocide situations where the international community does not act promptly.

Operationalisation of EASBRIG

Based on the view that the AU emphasises standardised regional standby brigades for Scenario 4 as opposed to specific structures by each of the regions, the EACDS concurred with the basic force requirements as set out by the AU. The EACDS recognised that the quantities they relied on were derivatives of the UN specifications that entail the following tables of organisation and equipment (TOEs):

1. brigade (mission level);
2. headquarters support unit of up to 65 personnel and 16 vehicles;
3. headquarters company and support unit of up to 120 personnel;
4. 4 x light infantry battalions, each com-posed of up to 750 personnel and 70 vehicles;
5. engineer unit of up to 505 personnel;
6. light signals unit of up to 135 personnel;
7. reconnaissance company (wheeled) of up to 150 personnel;
8. helicopter unit of up to 80 personnel, 10 vehicles and 4 helicopters;
9. military police unit of up to 48 personnel and 17 vehicles;
10. light multi-role logistical unit of up to 190 personnel and 40 vehicles;
11. level two medical unit of up to 35 personnel and 10 vehicles;
12. military observer group of up to 120 officers; and
13. Civilian support group consisting of logistical, administration and budget components.

EASBRICOM

EASBRICOM was operationalized following the approval by the 1st Extraordinary Summit of Head of State and Government of the Eastern Africa Region, held on the 28thJanuary 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the Sidelines of the AU Summit. EASBRICOM being the “Independent Coordination Secretariat” for EASBRIG is now known as EASBRICOM.  Upon decisions made by the 2nd Extra Ordinary Council of Ministers of Defense and Security of the Eastern Africa region which met on the 30th March 2007 in Nairobi, Five key Professionals were appointed to fill the five approved key positions in EASBRICOM.

Core Functions

1. One stop center for decisive and specific mgt of peace,security
2. Provides Political and Policy guidance
3. Ensure implementation of EASBRIG policies
4. Mobilization of resources in collaboration with AU, RECs and other sources
5. Management of EASBRIG Fund
6. Coordinate meetings in consultations with the relevant authorities;
7. Performing public relation activities, receive and disseminate  information
8. Liaise with AU, RECs and other organizations on matters relating to EASBRIG
9. Development and review of EASBRIG policy documents for approval by Council
10. Performing any other activities as directed by the organs of EASBRIG

Mission and Objectives

1. Provide an enabling environment for attain the objectives of the Constitutive Act.
2. Work towards Regional collective response to both internal and external threats
3. Work towards elimination of suspicions and rivalry through cooperation in security and defense.
4. Closer cooperation in defense matters, common training, exchange of information, common doctrine and building collective capacity
5. Provision of best practices and develop strategic capabilities.
6. Collective defense and strategic capability as well as military preparedness
7. Facilitate the establishment of a threat deterrence and containment capacity within the region.
8. Integrate and harmonize initiatives in the regional on defense and security
9. Encourage the conclusion and ratification of non –aggression pacts among the regions Member States and harmonize such agreements with other regions.
10. Provide framework for effective and coordinated humanitarian action, effective participation of women in conflict management

Conclusion

The move by Eastern African countries to establish a standby brigade underscores their commitment towards the management of conflicts in the region. It is a positive step in complementing UN and AU efforts in peace support operations. The realization of member states’ commitments is commendable and should attract support from all corners.

Why should African countries pool their resources together for the common defence and security of the region? First, such a policy is likely to reduce suspicion and rivalry among states a factor that has engendered conflicts in the continent and has traditionally hindered interstate cooperation and integration in Africa. Second, cooperation will increase transparency in national defence and security policies. Third, a common policy will provide best practices to strengthen the defence and security sectors as well as to safeguard individual national, sub-regional and continental values. A Common Defence and Security Policy will be cost effective to member states, as it will eliminate unnecessary national expenditure on defence and security and will allow for the reallocation of resources to address more threatening challenges such as poverty and globalisation.

As the AU embarks on creating a Common Defence Policy, certain issues are likely to continue posing a threat. First is the question of sustainability in terms of financing the ASF during intervention times. More often than not, conflicts in Africa are lethal, and in several cases unpredictable. An ASF will have to be well equipped (which calls for proper and sustained financing) in order to mitigate conflicts of this nature. Finance, however, remains a thorny issue for many African countries still grappling with food insecurity, disease, low levels of literacy, among other gloomy issues.

Other challenges to be tackled will entail the issue of language. Africa is divided into various linguistic groupings – English, French, Portuguese and Arabic. Which language, therefore, will be the language of command for the standby force? Of equal importance is the command structure for the force. Each country/region has its own command structure that is familiar and it may not be easy to adopt a new one.

In the face of these challenges, it is important that flexibility of African countries surpasses their rigidity if they are to see success in creating a unified ASF. This will require all the five regions moving at the same pace in creating their regional brigades in response to the AU’s call. The task is not massive it simply requires commitment.