AU, regional blocs move to strengthen African Standby Force amid evolving security threats

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 — The African Union and regional economic communities have signed a new agreement to strengthen coordination in the use of the African Standby Force, in a move aimed at improving Africa’s collective response to emerging security threats.

The African Union Commission said the AU, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the use of the African Standby Force (ASF), describing it as a significant step in strengthening the continent’s Peace and Security Architecture.

The agreement was signed during the Fifth Policy Session of the African Union Inter-Regional Knowledge Exchange on Early Warning and Conflict Prevention (AU I-RECKE), held on the margins of the AU Mid-Year Coordination Summit in El Alamein, Egypt.

The session focused on “The African Standby Force in the Context of the Evolving Security Landscape in Africa.”

The AU said the agreement is intended to enhance coordination and collective action between the continental body and regional organizations in responding to peace and security challenges.

“The signing marks a significant milestone in strengthening coordination and collective action in Africa’s Peace and Security Architecture,” the AU Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department said.

AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf described the AU-RECs/RMs agreement as a watershed moment for Africa’s Peace and Security Architecture.

He called for the African Standby Force to adapt to the continent’s changing security environment while strengthening African ownership and legitimacy in responding to conflicts.

Youssouf also stressed the need to improve the coherence and effectiveness of continental and regional responses to security threats.

The African Standby Force was established as part of the AU’s peace and security framework to provide the continent with a mechanism for preventive deployment, peace support operations and other interventions in response to crises.

The new agreement comes as African countries confront increasingly complex security challenges, requiring closer coordination between the AU and regional organizations responsible for peace and security.

The agreement is expected to provide a framework for closer cooperation between the AU, RECs and RMs in the use of the Standby Force and strengthen the continent’s capacity for collective action in responding to security crises.