Peace and Security Council Protocol

This February 2011 report by the Institute for Security Studies provides early warning analysis and country updates for the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). It focuses on the political instability in Tunisia following the ousting of President Ben Ali, the security and minority rights challenges surrounding the South Sudan referendum, the electoral stalemate and potential for civil war in Côte d’Ivoire, and the long-standing territorial dispute over Western Sahara. Additionally, it discusses the AU's focus on 'shared values' as a foundation for continental integration.

• Following the departure of President Ben Ali on 14 January 2010, Tunisia experienced a security vacuum characterized by increased crime, looting, and prison breaks, leading local communities to form vigilante groups.
• The Tunisian uprising was driven by high youth unemployment, reportedly as high as 40 percent, inflation, rising food prices, and widespread corruption under Ben Ali's authoritarian rule.
• The South Sudan referendum on 9 January was generally hailed by international observers for meeting acceptable standards, though security concerns persist, particularly regarding the announcement of results which could trigger violence from those fearing socio-economic loss.
• A secession of South Sudan creates significant risks for minorities, including the potential for Southerners in the North to become stateless if Khartoum rescinds their citizenship, and fears among Northern religious and cultural minorities of increased oppression under Sharia law.
• The political stalemate in Côte d’Ivoire following the 28 November 2010 election has led to a deteriorating security situation, with rival military forces backing Alassan Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo, raising fears of a return to civil war that could spread to Liberia.
• In Côte d’Ivoire, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 military personnel to UNOCI until June 30, 2011, and the redeployment of three armed helicopters from UNMIL in Liberia to address the crisis.
• The dispute over Western Sahara remains a deadlock between the Polisario Front, which seeks a referendum on self-determination, and Morocco, which proposes an 'autonomy-based political solution'.
• The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a member of the African Union, which is the primary reason Morocco is the only African country that is not a member of the AU.
• The 16th AU Summit in Addis Ababa focused on the theme 'Towards Greater Unity and Integration through Shared Values', aiming to move away from Western models of democratisation toward a home-grown African model for good governance.

APA

Kent-Brown, D., Dersso, S. A., Lulie, H., & Yoseph, E. Y. (2011). Peace and Security Council Protocol. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC19_Feb2011.pdf

Chicago

Kent-Brown, Duke, Solomon Ayele Dersso, Hallelujah Lulie, and Eden Yohannes Yoseph. Peace and Security Council Protocol. Institute for Security Studies, 2011. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC19_Feb2011.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kent-Brown |first1=Duke |last2=Dersso |first2=Solomon Ayele |last3=Lulie |first3=Hallelujah |last4=Yoseph |first4=Eden Yohannes |title=Peace and Security Council Protocol |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=February 2011 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC19_Feb2011.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kentbrown2011peace, author = {Kent-Brown, Duke and Dersso, Solomon Ayele and Lulie, Hallelujah and Yoseph, Eden Yohannes}, title = {{Peace and Security Council Protocol}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2011}, month = feb, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC19_Feb2011.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }