ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis seeks to provide a critical discussion of the contributions of the African
Union towards the potential development of an African security community since its
inception in 2002. Utilising Security Community Theory, and the framework for the
study of security communities developed by Adler & Barnett (1998) it commences
with an interrogation of the AU. This interrogation is arranged along the three tiers of
the framework.
The first tier is the precipitating conditions, which cause states to orient themselves
in each other’s direction and desire to coordinate their relations. The second tier
investigates the factors conducive to the development of mutual trust and collective
identity. The third, and final, tier identifies the necessary conditions of dependable
expectations of peaceful change.
The study goes on and introduces three African case studies, which illustrate the
contributions of the African Union towards the potential development of an African
security community. The case studies are the African Union mission in Burundi, the
African Union mission in Sudan, and the recent intervention of the African Union in
the post-election crisis in Côte d'Ivoire. All three case studies were able to provide
ample evidence to illustrate the AU’s contributions.
The study concludes with two major findings. Firstly, this study is able to illustrate
that the AU has made significant contributions towards the development of peace
and security in Africa. Secondly, that the AU has made significant contributions at all
three tiers of the framework, and therefore major contributions to the potential
development of an African security community. However, the AU is still in its
embryonic phase, and any prediction concerning the existence, or potential
existence of an African security community would be premature. Even though there are ostensibly, positive developments in the area of continental
peace and security this study is able to illustrate several remaining challenges to
further contributions by the AU. The first is a lack of resources. The AU is heavily
dependent on the contributions of its member states, and a number of members
persistently fail to meet their contributions to the organization. A second challenge is
the loosely defined relationship with the UN (and other external partners). It is crucial that a constructive relationship be established, if not, differences might antagonise
the two organisations and negatively affect any future contributions of the AU
towards the development of an African security community. Finally, the role of core
states, most notably regional hegemons such as South Africa and Nigeria will remain
important for stabilizing and encouraging the further development of an African
security community.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis poog om n kritiese bespreking te bied van die bydra wat die Afrika Unie
na die potensiele ontwikkeling van n Afrika sekuriteits gemeenskap gemaak het
sedert sy intrede in 2002. Deur gebruik te maak van Sekuriteits Gemeeenskap
Teorie, en die raamwerk vir die studie van sekuriteits gemeenskappe deur Adler &
Barnett (1998) begin die studie met n direkte ondersoek van die AU. Hierdie
ondersoek vind plaas volgens die drie vlakke van die raamwerk.
Die eerste vlak is die kondisies wat veroorsaak dat state hulself na mekaar orienteer,
en n wil ontwikkel om hulle sake te koordineer. Die tweede vlak ondersoek die
faktore vir die ontwikkeling van wedersydse vertroue en gesamentlike identiteit. Die
derde, en finale, vlak identifiseer die nodige kondisies van afhanklike verwagtinge vir
vreedsame verandering.
Die studie gaan voort met drie Afrika geval studies, wat die bydra van die AU na die
potensiele ontwikkeling van n Afrika sekuriteits gemeenskap illustreer. Die geval
studies sluit in die Afrika missie in Burundi, die Afrika missie in Sudan, en die
onlangse intervensie deur die AU in die na-eleksie krisis in Côte d'Ivoire. Al drie
geval studies verskaf wye getuienis wat die bydra van die AU illustreer.
Die studie sluit af met twee hoof bevindings. Eerstens, kon hierdie studie illustreer
dat die AU betekenisvolle bydraes na die ontwikkeling van vrede en sekuriteit in
Afrika gemaak het. Tweedens, dat die AU betekenisvolle bydraes op al drie vlakke
van die raamwerk gemaak het, en daarom ook mondige bydraes tot die potensiele
ontwikkeling van n Afrika sekuriteits gemeenskap gemaak het. Nogtans, is die AU
self nog in n onvolwasse stadium, en enige voorspelling in verband met die bestaan,
of oor die potensiele bestaan van n Afrika sekuriteits gemeenskap is voortydig. Al is daar opmerkilike positiewe ontwikkelinge in die area van kontinentale vrede en
sekuriteit, kan hierdie studie steeds verskeie uitdagings identifiseer wat verdere
bydraes deur die AU kan hinder. Die eerste uitdaging is n tekort aan bevondsing. Die
AU is hoogs afhanklik op die bydrae van sy lidmaat state, maar n paar lede mis
aanhoudend hulle bydraes tot die orginasasie. n Tweede uitdaging is die
ongedefineerde verhouding tussen die AU en die VN (en ander eksterne vennote).
Dit is belangrik dat n konstruktiewe verhouding in werk gestel word, indien nie, kan verskille die twee organisasies van mekaar dryf en enige toekomstige bydraes van
die AU na die potensiele ontwikkeling van n Afrika sekuriteits kompleks negatief
beinvloed. Laastens, sal die rol van kern state, mees aanmerklik streek leiers soos
Suid Afrika en Nigerie, belangrik bly om die sekuriteits kompleks te stabiliseer en
verdere ontwikkeling in die toekoms te bevorder.
