The Civilian Dimension of the African standby Force

Abstract

The African Standby Force (ASF) is an important tool of the African Peace and Security Architecture for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts on our continent. An appreciable amount of progress has been made towards its realisation, from the development of the foundational policy documents to aspects pertaining to the establishment of a Rapid Deployment Capability for the Force. It is, however, the reality that there still exists a limited understanding of the ASF concept. Peace support operations (PSOs) have evolved into complex and multidimensional enterprises that require integration and cooperation amongst military, civilian and police elements. Despite this development, there is still a view that PSOs are the preserve of the military, and little is still known about the role and necessity of civilians in the theatre of operations. There is a need, on one hand, to increase our advocacy and outreach efforts so as to better gain support for the ASF whilst, on the...