Joint-Leadership and Regional Peacebuilding in Africa

The role of leadership in regional peacebuilding is increasingly recognized in the literature on African security cooperation. Leadership helps both to give the impulse for integration and sustain it. It is however difficult to find countries that can single-handedly lead an organisation as big as the African Union (AU), especially on issues of high politics such as peacebuilding. This paper examines the role of leadership in peacebuilding integration in Africa. Using specific criteria for determining peacebuilding leadership in integration, it shows that there is a potential for joint-leadership by South Africa and Nigeria within the AU. Using qualitative data obtained through desktop research, the paper points out that this potential is plagued by several challenges, including differences in governance and values, which need to be addressed before this duo can effectively steer peacebuilding efforts on the continent.