Africa after the 2013 Elysée Summit on Peace and Security

The research paper examines the 2013 Elysée Summit on Peace and Security, noting that despite institutional changes in France—such as the liquidation of the Africa Cell and the replacement of the ministry of cooperation with the ministry of development—France remains the primary military 'gendarme' in African conflicts. The author highlights recent interventions in Mali (Operation Serval) and the Central African Republic as evidence that France continues to fill security voids that African institutions cannot yet manage. The paper concludes that African powers, specifically South Africa and Nigeria, should redefine 'African solutions to African problems' to include external pivots and improve coordination through initiatives like the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC).

• France has implemented institutional changes to its Africa policy, including the removal of the Africa Cell at the Elysée and the transition from a ministry of cooperation to a ministry of development under Pascal Canfin to promote a multilateral approach to development.
• Despite signals of retreat and military reorganisation, France continues to act as the primary military intervener in African conflicts, as evidenced by Operation Serval in Mali and the deployment of soldiers to Bangui in the Central African Republic.
• The reliance on French military intervention to prevent state collapse in Mali and the Central African Republic challenges the African Union's principle of 'African solutions to African problems'.
• The author recommends that regional powers Nigeria and South Africa coordinate more closely on security and that Nigeria join the South Africa-sponsored African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC) to better manage continental security.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2013). Africa after the 2013 Elysée Summit on Peace and Security. https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-after-the-2013-elysee-summit-on-peace-and-security/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Africa after the 2013 Elysée Summit on Peace and Security. 2013. https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-after-the-2013-elysee-summit-on-peace-and-security/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Africa after the 2013 Elysée Summit on Peace and Security |date=6 December 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-after-the-2013-elysee-summit-on-peace-and-security/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2013africa, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Africa after the 2013 Elysée Summit on Peace and Security}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = dec, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-after-the-2013-elysee-summit-on-peace-and-security/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }