Over the last two decades, African states have demonstrated increasing agency in addressing conflicts by using their capacities at the national, sub-regional and continental levels. This newfound quest for inward solutions was ushered in by the formation of the African Union (AU) in 2001 which was empowered with normative and institutional mechanisms to coordinate African preventive and reactive approaches to crisis situations. Although this African agency is a welcome development, significant gaps remain in terms of harmonising various capacities within the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). Further harmonization requires a critical rethinking of APSA’s coordination mechanisms in peace and security.
Author: Ndubuisi Christian Ani
Dr. Ndubuisi Christian Ani is a Senior Researcher and Project Coordinator at ISS Abuja, Nigeria. His research interests include transnational security threats and organised crimes. | Twitter: @IamChristianAni
