The origin of the popular maxim that “it takes a village to raise
a child” is often attributed to an African proverb. Although
overused in contemporary analysis to simplify how Africans
approach problem solving, the fundamental idea of collective solutions to complex problems still deserves recognition.
Collective problem solving is especially relevant to the United
States Government (USG), which continues to search for efficient ways to implement security strategies in a future defined
by diminishing resources and competing demands. One such
way is Security Cooperation,1 as implemented through the
Theater Security Cooperation Programs (TSCP) developed by
Geographic Combatant Commands (GCC). As AFRICOM
develops future Theater Security Cooperation Programs, planners need to allocate resources in an efficient manner to maximizes the impact and influence on the continent. Fortunately,
structures within the African Union (AU) provide a venue in
which to do so, but the proper authorities and conditions may
not exist. To be more effective in implementing Theater Security Cooperation Programs, AFRICOM needs to develop multilateral security cooperation programs and seek authorities that
build the capacity requested by existing, legitimate AU regional
mechanisms.
The idea of investing in regional security organizations is not a
novel concept, and it is one already promoted by current policy
and national strategy. Within the policy realm, the most recent
Presidential Policy Directive (PPD-23) for U.S. Security Sector
Assistance delineates the necessity to strengthen multinational
and regional defense organizations to maximize the impact of
limited resources.2 Prior to publishing this policy, the Department of Defense (DoD) already recognized the same necessity,
"Whenever possible, we will develop innovative, low-cost, and
small-footprint approaches to achieve our security objectives,
relying on exercises, rotational presence, and advisory capabilities."3 More recently, DoD delineated a regional theme more
specifically towards Africa in the 2015 Quadrennial Defense
Review: "In Africa... sub-regional organizations are playing
an increasingly prominent role in maintaining and restoring
international security…. in threat environments that previously
would have deterred multilateral action."4 Although ample
evidence demonstrates the USG’s desire for multilateral investment as an efficient method for achieving national security
objectives, AFRICOM needs institutions capable and willing to
provide partnership.
The AU’s organizational structure provides a venue for AFRICOM to inject resources at the regional level. Numerous
organizations make up what is collectively known as the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). The AU established the Peace and Security Council (PSC) to provide policy
oversight and an early-warning system to assist in timely deci-
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sion-making for African crisis. Participation in the PSC is organized around five regions, each with a corresponding African
Standby Force (ASF) brigade. The ASF is a multi-disciplinary,
continental peacekeeping force comprised of military, police
and civilian components, which are on standby in their regions
of origin and available to the AU for deployment in times of crisis. The regional brigades are based on three Regional Economic
Communities (RECs) and two Regional Mechanisms (RMs):
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),
the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS),
the South African Development Community (SADC), the
Eastern African Standby Force (EASF) and the North African
Regional Capability (NARC).5 Each of these five ASFs provide
the optimal impact points for AFRICOM while maintaining
the AU’s legitimacy.
Operations over the last three decades demonstrate the value
of solving problems regionally in Africa. The establishment
and subsequent operations conducted by ECOWAS provides
just one example of a regional security approach, having intervened in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau in the 1990s.
Predating the AU, the collective efforts by ECOWAS created
a trend toward regional security which continued into the
twenty-first century.6 The actions taken by ECOWAS under its
Mechanism for the Prevention, Management, and Resolution
in both Guinea and Guinea Bissau from 2005 to 2010 illustrate
a continued trend. While it can be argued that ECOWAS
never achieved its objectives in fully restoring peace in West
Africa, the ECOWAS initiative illustrates the foundational
requirements of political will and mobilization of resources at
a regional level to address sub-regional problems. The initiative
is based on the premise that peace and security are pre-requisites for balanced economic development and advancement
as they largely determine the direction and pace of economic
and political reforms in a country.7 Although ECOWAS is the
oldest REC, and only one of eight within the AU, the operational examples provide substantial evidence for AFRICOM to
prioritize regionally focused engagement within TSCP.
Military and government officials throughout Africa are fully
aware of the advantages of operating regionally, and express the
desire to improve the capability. Uganda, which is a large force
provider to operations in East Africa, is one proponent of the
regional approach. In a recent media interview, LtCol Paddy
Ankunda, a spokesperson for the Uganda People's Defense
Forces proclaimed, "Joint [regional] standby forces are the
way to go….if we did not quickly move to South Sudan when
the crisis broke out in 2013, the situation in the country could
have been far worse."8 Also in East Africa, the PSC more recently placed the EASF as a focal point for resolving the crisis
in Burundi.9 This sentimen