Abstract

Facing threats ranging from Islamist insurgencies to the Ebola pandemic, African regional actors are playing an increasingly vital role in safeguarding peace and stability across the continent. But while the African Union has demonstrated its ability to deploy forces on short notice and in difficult circumstances, the challenges posed by increasingly complex conflict zones have revealed a widening divide between the theory and practice of peacekeeping. With the AU's African Standby Force becoming fully operational in 2016, this timely and much-needed work argues that responding to these challenges will require a new and distinctively African model of peacekeeping, as well as a radical revision of the current African security framework.

The first book to provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of African peace operations, The Future of African Peace Operations gives a long overdue assessment of the ways in which peacekeeping on the continent has evolved over the past decade. It will be a vital resource for policy makers, researchers and all those seeking solutions and insights into the immense security challenges which Africa is facing today.

Cedric de Coning is a senior researcher with the Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Research Group at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and a senior adviser on peacekeeping and peacebuilding for ACCORD.

Linnéa Gelot is a senior researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute in Uppsala, Sweden, a senior lecturer in peace and development studies at the School of Global Studies and an affiliated fellow of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.

John Karlsrud is senior research fellow and manager of the Training for Peace programme at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, working on peacekeeping, peacebuilding and humanitarian issues.

'[O]ne of the first and most successful attempts to give a complete overview of African peace operations today and what they will look like in the future.'
International Affairs

'For a core audience already familiar with the larger history of African peace operations and looking for more detailed analysis of the organisational and policy thinking over the years, this book shines as a reference.'
Africa at LSE

'For policymakers in both international organizations and national institutions...the book is a valuable addition to the contemporary discourse.'
Academic Council on the United Nations System

'The chapters show a deep knowledge of the intricate architecture within and between organisations charged with peace and security ... This book is accessible, timely and highly recommended.'
The Round Table

'[T]he authors capture the complexity of modern African peace operations and acknowledge the multiple ways in which their recommendations could have an impact.'
Project MUSE

‘This book argues that African peace operations have come of age, and it sets the stage for considering what the strategic options are for peacekeeping in Africa in the coming decade. I will highly recommend it to all scholars and practitioners working on African peace and security issues.’
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo

‘Essential for understanding the history and complexity of peacekeeping on the continent and the human dimensions of the problems involved.’
Lt Gen Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, former force commander of the UN mission in the DRC

‘The editors have assembled a highly qualified team of African analysts and practitioners to shed considerable light on an important question: how effective is the emerging "African model" of stabilization operations?’
Paul D. Williams, George Washington University

‘From its outset the peacekeeping project has found its greatest challenges in Africa. This collection, written for the most part by African researchers with frontline knowledge, and offering clear and practical proposals, should be warmly welcomed by those in positions to shape policy in Africa and beyond.’
Norrie MacQueen, University of St Andrews

‘The contributors to this outstanding volume provide interesting views from a wide angle on the future of peace operations in Africa. This book provides policy makers and practitioners on the various political, security and humanitarian levels excellent food for thought and discussion.’
Maj Gen (ret) Patrick Cammaert, former military adviser and force commander, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations

‘A much-needed comprehensive overview of the emergence of an African model of peace operations. It brings together leading African experts who offer a frank analysis of recent developments in African security institutions and policy responses.’
Thierry Tardy, senior analyst, EU Institute for Security Studies

‘With a formidable, multinational group of authors, this book charts the political, policy and practical nuances of the task as Africans takes charge of building peace in Africa. This is a very welcome and timely aid to our understanding of these issues.’
Dan Smith, director, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

‘The African Union is taking an ever-larger role in peace operations on the continent. How are they to be financed? And how do the African Union, the UN, and Africa’s regional economic communities relate to one another? This invaluable and timely book charts the complex challenges faced by African peace operations today.’
Alex de Waal, executive director of The World Peace Foundation, and author of Darfur: A New History of a Long War

‘This book is a welcome and timely addition to the literature and discourse on Africa’s future in the world of peace operations, and it is hoped that it would positively impact the shape and design of Africa’s peace operations in the near future.’
Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, director, Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy, and member of the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations

‘An important book. It puts a much needed focus on the changing nature and role of African peace operations, and is a must-read for academics, practitioners and students working with issues related to African security.’
Thomas Mandrup, Royal Danish Defence College and Stellenbosch University

‘This close examination of current issues in African peace operations is a major contribution to the debate within African institutions themselves; it is most timely for the UN as it seeks to reflect in its practice a new level of understanding of the need for strategic coherence with partnerships in Africa and elsewhere.’
Ian Martin, executive director, Security Council Report, and member of the UN High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations

‘This book provides a rare combination of well-researched informative analysis with clear policy recommendations. Clear and current, the book will be of use to practitioners, researchers and students. ‘
Jane Boulden, Queen’s University Canada

'The Future of African Peace Operations presents informative analysis and frontline thinking by leading experts in a well-written and well-structured volume … strongly recommended for academics, students, practitioners and policymakers.'
South African Journal of International Affairs