Peace & Security Council Report

The report examines the complex relationship between the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), specifically the application of 'subsidiarity'—the principle that regional structures should lead in their own jurisdictions. It highlights systemic failures in North Africa due to the inactivity of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), tensions between the AU and SADC over elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the AU's successful re-assumption of leadership in the Central African Republic. The document also notes the East African Community's (EAC) internal trade disputes, ECOWAS's struggle to adapt to violent extremism in the Sahel, and the general lack of civil society engagement within the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

• The principle of subsidiarity is inconsistently applied and often lacks legal clarity, leading to 'battles of supremacy' between the AU and RECs. For example, the AU and ECCAS clashed over the management of the Central African Republic (CAR) crisis between 2012 and 2014, though the AU's leadership since late 2016 has been more effective.
• North Africa lacks a functioning regional organisation to lead peace and security efforts. The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) is described as 'inactive' and 'paralysed by infighting', having held its last high-level meeting in 2008. This vacuum is exacerbated by overlapping memberships in other RECs like CEN-SAD and COMESA, and the fact that the North African Regional Capacity (NARC) has never been deployed.
• The AU and SADC have experienced significant friction over the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) electoral dispute following the December 30, 2018 elections. While SADC supported the government and the victory of President Felix Tshisekedi, the AU expressed 'serious concerns' and attempted to delay the publication of results.
• The East African Community (EAC) is the fastest-growing region on the continent with a GDP growth forecast of 5.9 percent, but it faces internal instability. Tensions between Rwanda and Uganda led to the closure of the Katuna/Gatuna border post on February 27, 2019, sparking fears of a repeat of the community's 1977 collapse.
• ECOWAS has struggled to respond to the evolving threat of violent extremism in the Sahel, as its existing response mechanisms are not adaptable enough. This has led to the rise of AU-mandated ad hoc structures like the G5 Sahel and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which fill response gaps but may overstretch national military capacities.
• There is a significant disconnect between the AU and African citizens, particularly within IGAD, where collaboration has been 'devoid of any citizen participation'. Efforts to include civil society are hindered by dysfunctional bodies like the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) and the IGAD NGO/CSO Forum.

APA

Diatta, M., Louw-Vaudran, L., Attah-Asamoah, A., & Woldemichael, S. (2019). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-113-2.pdf

Chicago

Diatta, Mohamed, Liesl Louw-Vaudran, Andrews Attah-Asamoah, and Shewit Woldemichael. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2019. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-113-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Diatta |first1=Mohamed |last2=Louw-Vaudran |first2=Liesl |last3=Attah-Asamoah |first3=Andrews |last4=Woldemichael |first4=Shewit |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=May 2019 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-113-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{diatta2019peace, author = {Diatta, Mohamed and Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Attah-Asamoah, Andrews and Woldemichael, Shewit}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2019}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-113-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }