PSC Report

This December 2011 report by the Institute for Security Studies provides security analyses and early warning assessments for the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC). It focuses on the fragile post-election landscape in Liberia, escalating border conflicts and humanitarian crises between Sudan and South Sudan, the expanding threat of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) across the Sahel, and political instability in Burundi. Additionally, it examines the partnership and occasional divergences between the PSC and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

• The 2011 electoral process in Liberia tested the country's fragile stability, with concerns that the process could "breed tensions and compromise national reconciliation efforts" due to allegations of fraud and an opposition boycott of the run-off election.
• Liberia faces significant internal challenges, including a high poverty rate of approximately 80 per cent and a "culture of impunity in society" linked to weaknesses in the judiciary and a lack of capacity at the Liberian Anti-corruption Commission.
• Conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N) in South Kordofan and Blue Nile state has persisted for four months, with the formation of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front in November 2011 signaling a risk of a new civil war.
• Tensions between Sudan and South Sudan have escalated through SAF aerial bombings in South Sudan’s Unity and Upper Nile states, leading to a breakdown in trust and the suspension of oil exports from South Sudan via Sudanese ports on 28 November 2011.
• The implementation of the June 2011 agreement for the administration and security of the Abyei area has been slow, hampered by the rainy season, landmines, and the failure of both the SAF and SPLA to fully withdraw their troops.
• Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has increased its capacity and outreach, benefiting from the acquisition of weapons and money from the Libyan crisis, including an estimated 20,000 portable surface-to-air missiles.
• AQIM's threat is amplified by a confirmed link with the Nigerian sect Boko Haram, creating a potential chain of terrorist cells stretching from West Africa through the Sahel to the eastern tip of the continent.
• Burundi's security situation is unstable following the 2010 elections, characterized by retaliatory attacks between government forces and opposition supporters, and a perceived "shrinking of political space" for civil society.
• The African Union and ECOWAS have shown divergent standards in monitoring elections, notably in Gambia, where ECOWAS declared the process illegitimate while AU observers described it as "satisfying".

APA

Kent-Brown, D., Dersso, S. A., Lulie, H., Aynete, A., Githaiga, N., Zounmenou, D., & Chatora, A. (2011). PSC Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC29Dec2011.pdf

Chicago

Kent-Brown, Duke, Solomon Ayele Dersso, Hallelujah Lulie, Abebe Aynete, Nyambura Githaiga, David Zounmenou, and Arthur Chatora. PSC Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2011. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC29Dec2011.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{kentbrown2011psc, author = {Kent-Brown, Duke and Dersso, Solomon Ayele and Lulie, Hallelujah and Aynete, Abebe and Githaiga, Nyambura and Zounmenou, David and Chatora, Arthur}, title = {{PSC Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2011}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC29Dec2011.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }