The United Nations and Africa

This research paper by Jakkie Cilliers of the Institute for Security Studies examines the relationship between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) regarding peace and security. It argues against a 'layered response'—where the AU assumes primary responsibility for peacekeeping to reduce UN costs—and instead advocates for an 'interlocking system' of shared logistics, staffing, and strategic management to ensure sustainable conflict prevention and reconstruction in Africa.

• The African Union's peacekeeping efforts are heavily dependent on international funding, as Africa's own financial contributions are described as negligible. The African Peace Facility provided nearly 300 million by 2006 for capacity building and peacekeeping in the Comoros, CAR, and Darfur.
• There is a significant disparity in how UN and AU missions are funded. UN missions use a system of assessed contributions, whereas AU missions rely on ad hoc, uncoordinated donor financing, which creates sustainability issues and makes the transition to assessed contributions politically unfeasible due to AU management deficiencies.
• The author critiques the 'layered response' model favored by the P3 (USA, France, and UK), which suggests the AU should undertake peacekeeping to relieve the UN of its burden and costs. The author argues this approach seeks to outsource security obligations without accompanying funding obligations.
• The African Standby Force (ASF), intended to be fully operational by 2010, has faced severe setbacks. Its development has been haphazard, with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) creating incompatible planning guidelines and command systems, leading to a 'surfeit of policy and an absence of capacity'.
• The mission in Darfur (AMIS) is presented as a failure of the 'African solutions to African problems' mantra, serving as political cover for the UN Security Council's unwillingness to act and damaging the credibility of both the AU and the UN.
• The author proposes an 'interlocking system' where the UN and AU share logistic bases, command and control systems, and staff. This would involve seconding UNDPKO staff to the AU's Peace Support Division (PSOD) to improve administration, accounting, and operational planning.
• In post-conflict reconstruction, the AU's most effective role is not providing resources—which reside in institutions like the World Bank and IMF—but acting as a coordinator to establish a single national vision and plan in collaboration with the UN.

APA

Cilliers, J. (2007). The United Nations and Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/UNAUJKCAPR07.PDF

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie. The United Nations and Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2007. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/UNAUJKCAPR07.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |title=The United Nations and Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=18 April 2007 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/UNAUJKCAPR07.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers2007united, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{The United Nations and Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2007}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/UNAUJKCAPR07.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }