Developments and Challenges in the Operationalisation of the ASF: An Insider’s Perspective

This report summarizes a seminar held on 8 April 2009 in Addis Ababa regarding the operationalization of the African Standby Force (ASF). The ASF is a key component of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), designed to enable the African Union (AU) to respond to conflicts and prevent atrocities such as genocide and war crimes. While the AU aimed for the ASF to be operational by 2010, the seminar highlighted significant gaps in civilian and police components, logistics, funding, and legal clarity regarding the AU's right of intervention versus UN Security Council authority.

• The African Standby Force (ASF) is the primary institutional tool for implementing Article 4(h) of the AU Constitutive Act, which allows the Union to intervene in member states during 'grave circumstances' including war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. The ASF is intended to be composed of multidisciplinary contingents with military and civilian components ready for rapid deployment.
• The ASF was developed in phases, with Phase I (2003-2005) focusing on strategic management and regional standby brigades. While this phase was achieved, it was completed late, and policy documents were not adopted by the AMDS until March 2008. Furthermore, civilian elements of the AU and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) PLANLEMs remain non-operational, and no RECs/RMs have developed standby rosters for individual personnel.
• The 'AMANI AFRICA Cycle', launched in November 2008, aims to test ASF capacities for Peace Support Operations (PSOs) and increase awareness among AU Commission senior personnel and member states. A contributors conference in Brussels on 6 February 2009 resulted in cash pledges of €2,020.00.
• Several critical operational challenges hinder the ASF, including the slow development of police and civilian components, a lack of synergy between APSA components, and inadequate attention to maritime and air capacity. Additionally, the operationalization of one continental and five regional logistics depots remains unresolved, with a noted failure to address cost implications.
• The Peace and Security Operations Division (PSOD) suffers from structural deficiencies, lacking a permanent mission planning and support structure. This has led to mission planning for areas like Somalia and Darfur being handled on an ad hoc basis, which undermines coherence and the integration of lessons learned.
• There is significant legal and political tension regarding the AU's right to intervene under Article 4(h) compared to the UN Charter's prohibition on the use of force. Concerns exist over whether the AU can legitimately intervene without UN Security Council authorization, and whether the 'lead nation' concept in Rapid Deployment Capability allows powerful states to advance their own interests.
• Funding is identified as a primary risk that could collapse the ASF project. The project currently relies on the support of donors, and there is a lack of sustainable funding from AU member states, which is attributed to both economic constraints and a lack of political will.

APA

Dersso, S. A. (2009). Developments and Challenges in the Operationalisation of the ASF: An Insider’s Perspective. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/080409ASFSEMREP.PDF

Chicago

Dersso, Solomon A. Developments and Challenges in the Operationalisation of the ASF: An Insider’s Perspective. Institute for Security Studies, 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/080409ASFSEMREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dersso |first1=Solomon A. |title=Developments and Challenges in the Operationalisation of the ASF: An Insider’s Perspective |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=8 April 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/080409ASFSEMREP.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dersso2009developments, author = {Dersso, Solomon A.}, title = {{Developments and Challenges in the Operationalisation of the ASF: An Insider’s Perspective}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/080409ASFSEMREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }