Reflections on the Evolving African Peace and Security Architecture

In the twenty-first century, African states and a wide range of partners have made considerable progress in constructing the African Peace and Security Architecture––a complex set of interrelated and overlapping institutions with mandates spanning the entire conflict management spectrum from preventive diplomacy to postwar reconstruction. Specifically, as used here, the African Peace and Security Architecture refers to the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, the African Standby Force, the Continental Early Warning System, the Peace Fund, the Panel of the Wise, and the relevant Regional Economic Communities, regional mechanisms, and parts of the African Union Commission involved in these institutions. This article reflects on the evolution of these institutions and highlights some of the main areas of progress as well as the challenges encountered along the way.