The African Peace and Security Architecture @20: Lessons Learned and the Way Forward
Amandine Gnanguênon, Frank Mattheis, Jamie Pring (UNU-CRIS), Ulf Engel, Jens Herpolsheimer (Leipzig U), Linnéa Gelot, Katharina Döring (Stockholm)
Background
Since the establishment of the African Union (AU) and its numerous institutions in the early 2000s, the global influence of African continental and regional organizations has grown significantly.
Geopolitical shifts are profoundly impacting on the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), which has been tasked with promoting peace and security.
Next to violent conflicts, extremism, climate change and other transnational dynamics, challenges also include contestation of AU institutions and APSA, their legitimacy and relevance.
On the other hand, opportunities include the continuous quest of pan-Africanist cooperation through regional institutions, and also ad-hoc conflict management initiatives. Observing the APSA @20 anniversary and launching the French translation of the edited volume “Researching the Inner Life of the African Peace and Security Architecture: APSA Inside-Out” (Brill 2023), this event seeks to inquire further and update debates about the Global South agency and shifting power relations in global ordering. Therefore, reflecting on current contributions to studies aiming to delve into the inner workings of APSA as well as its international context, using new and innovative conceptual, methodological, and empirical approaches, this day will be an opportunity to highlight some conclusions of this book.
Schedule
09:30–10:00 Registration
10:00–10:30 Introduction and Welcome
- Philippe de Lombaerde, UNU-CRIS (Bruges)
- Jens Herpolsheimer, Leipzig University (Leipzig)
10:30–12:00 APSA in the geopolitical context
Moderator: Linnéa Gelot, Swedish Defense University (Stockholm)
- Faith Mabera, Institute for Global Dialogue, Johannesburg
- Tim Murithi, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (Cape Town)
- Rosella Marangio, EU Institute for Security Studies (Paris)
- Nina Wilen, Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations, Brussels
- Dawit Yohannes, Institute for Security Studies, Addis Ababa
12:00–13:30 Lunch break
13:30–15:00 The future of APSA: Opportunities and challenges ahead
Moderator: Amandine Gnanguênon, UNU-CRIS (Bruges)
- Sophie Desmidt, European Centre for Development Policy Management, Maastricht
- Jonathan Sandy, AU Economic, Social and Cultural Council, Addis Ababa
- Andrew Tchie, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo
- Thomas Tieku, Ambassador of Mexico to the European Union
15:00–16:30 Open Debate: The Future of APSA – Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
Plenary session with all panellists of the workshop
Moderator: Ulf Engel, Institute of African Studies (Leipzig University), Linnéa Gelot, Swedish Defense University (Stockholm)
- Guest Speaker: El-Ghassim Wane, Former Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of MINUSMA
- Discussant: Jide Okeke, UNDP (Addis Ababa)
16:30–17:00 Tea Break
17:00–18:30 Book launch
Katharina Döring, Ulf Engel, Linnéa Gelot, and Jens Herpolsheimer (eds.) 2023. Recherches sur la vie intérieure de l’Architecture Africaine de Paix et de Sécurité (= AEGIS Series; 31). Leiden, Boston, MA: Brill [the English version was published in 2021
Registration