Looking for a home

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) use of mediation as a conflict-prevention tool. It analyzes the institutional gaps, the tension between formal and informal approaches, and the need for a more structured, long-term strategy to address the root causes of conflict in Africa.

• The African Union lacks a standardized definition of mediation, leading to a reliance on informal approaches to avoid political sensitivities and bypass the need for formal mandates from disputing parties.
• AU mediation is primarily operational, focusing on immediate causes of conflict, while structural prevention—which addresses root causes like governance and economic development—remains largely at the policy level without practical implementation steps.
• The AU utilizes four distinct categories of mediators: Special Envoys, High Representatives of the Chairperson, Special Representatives of the Chairperson, and High Level Ad Hoc Committees, though their roles and mandates are often interchangeable.
• Internal coordination is hindered by 'turf battles' and blurred lines of responsibility between different AU divisions, specifically the Conflict Prevention and Early Warning (CPEW) and the Crisis Management and Post-Conflict Reconstruction (CMPCRD) divisions.
• The AU faces coordination challenges with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) due to differing interpretations of the principle of subsidiarity, leading to conflicting mediation approaches in countries such as Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Burundi.
• The Mediation Support Unit (MSU), established in 2016 to provide systematic technical and logistical support, remained unstaffed and without defined practical approaches as of November 2017 due to internal bureaucratic debates.
• AU mediation funding is unpredictable due to a heavy reliance on voluntary bilateral donors; a proposed 0.2% levy on imports from outside Africa to revitalize the AU Peace Fund could provide more sustainable funding for preventive diplomacy.
• To improve effectiveness, the AU must move away from 'quick-fix' solutions and increase inclusivity by bringing women and civil society organizations to the negotiation table to address long-term structural causes of conflict.

APA

de Carvalho, G. (2017). Looking for a home. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-1.pdf

Chicago

de Carvalho, Gustavo. Looking for a home. Institute for Security Studies, 2017. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Carvalho |first1=Gustavo |title=Looking for a home |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2017 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{decarvalho2017looking, author = {de Carvalho, Gustavo}, title = {{Looking for a home}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }