U.S. Africa Command Staff
A Swahili proverb says, “If a snake bites your neighbor, you too are in danger.” The meaning is clear: A community is safest when everyone is protected. This is as true for a village as it is for a continent.
In the defense realm, this concept is known as “shared security,” and its importance is illustrated all too often. When a country descends into chaos, it becomes a haven for extremists to launch attacks outward. When criminals find ungoverned spaces, they exploit them and destabilize the region. When a civil war shatters peace, it sends refugees fleeing across borders.
It all demonstrates that countries cannot remain insulated from the troubles around them.
Understanding this, African security professionals do not hesitate to intervene to help others. Whether serving in missions under the African Union, United Nations, regional economic communities or ad hoc coalitions, they are among the most experienced peacekeepers in the world. Eleven of the top 20 troop-contributing countries to U.N. missions are from Africa.
But the future of these missions is uncertain. The U.N. has faced stiff resistance to its missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali. Both missions have announced they will end. The AU has persistent funding shortfalls. Logistics, including airlift capacity to move personnel and equipment into place and support troops in the field, is always limited. Finally, there is the challenge of building a durable peace. Although African-led missions have succeeded at military objectives like counterinsurgency, the ability to support a peace process or national reconciliation has proved more difficult.
African leaders now have the opportunity to capitalize on the lessons learned from past missions and the deep experience of peacekeepers. Countries have shown the ability to quickly assemble coalitions to intervene in threats ranging from electoral violence to disease epidemics. That adaptability and speed might be the greatest asset of African-led security interventions. Future models of peacekeeping will be uniquely adapted to African security challenges.
By investing in peacekeeping training and strengthening procedures that allow for quick interventions, African-led missions can more effectively restore peace. By prioritizing dialogue and addressing the underlying causes of instability, African nations can make sure that peace holds and the continent prospers.
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