The African Union (AU) is directing its focus on new and emerging threats facing the continent, according to the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye.
The Commissioner outlined these new key areas to include climate change, artificial intelligence, and the critical need for a functional early warning system, when he visited the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra to apprise himself with the operations of the Centre.
Emphasizing the link between climate change and peace and security, Ambassador Adeoye highlighted the need to including peacebuilding discussions within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agenda, reiterating the AU’s commitment to advocating for this critical connection.
He said, whereas there are difficulties in connecting climate change to peace and security on the continent, “we think it is still a very important conversation we must drive”, he said. Ambassador Adeoye pointed to the devastation caused by Boko Haram in Nigeria as an example and explained how climate change has exacerbated the conflict.
“In many Boko Haram-affected areas of Nigeria, adults face a stark choice, either join the sect or flee, as livelihoods continue to decline due to the absence of farming activity,” Ambassador Adeoye bewail.
Early Warnings
The Commissioner also acknowledged the challenges in establishing a continental early warning system despite existing structures. Highlighting a policy paper the AU is developing with support from the UN to address this gap, the Commissioner said the focus on early warning by the AU reflects a commitment to preventing conflicts before they erupt.
“The Sahel situation is a stark reminder that even with warning signs, we haven’t always been able to predict crises,” the Commissioner said, emphasizing the role KAIPTC could play in leveraging its research to push early warnings into concrete preventative actions.
Women, Youth and CSO’s
The Commissioner underscored the importance of women and youth in peace and security efforts, pointing to the low number of females in various positions and the ongoing efforts to get member states to appoint women to leadership roles. He also said that the AU, is introducing the AU Disarmament Fellowship program as a new initiative aimed at building African expertise in disarmament issues, traditionally led by the international community.
Acknowledging the positive developments in AU election observation missions, with strong support from the European Union, Ambassador Adeoye stressed the crucial role of well-equipped Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in ensuring credible elections.
Underscoring the importance of the newly operationalized AU Peace Fund in supporting these efforts, he encouraged the KAIPTC to shift away from traditional peacekeeping missions towards more comprehensive peace support operations.
KAIPTC
The Commandant of the KAIPTC, Major General Richard Addo Gyane, in his remarks, highlighted the Centre’s commitment to expanding its reach beyond the ECOWAS sub-region.
He acknowledged the Centre’s current focus on the sub-region but emphasized ongoing efforts to broaden impact across Africa, stressing the need for AU support in running mobile training programs throughout the continent.
Major General Addo Gyane also said that the KAIPTC has restructured its Women Peace and Security Institute to include the youth due to their important involvement in peace and security efforts. The Youth Unit of the Centre, the Commandant said, is working to engage the AU to not only support the development of national action plans on youth, peace and security for member states that do not have such policies; but also to facilitate the implementation of such plans by countries that have them in place.
The Acting Dean of the Faculty of Research and Academic Affairs of the KAIPTC, Dr. Kwaku Danso emphasized the Centre’s focus on practical applications of early warning systems. The Centre, he said, collaborates with national actors and stakeholders to enhance conflict prevention efforts across the continent. Dr. Danso also pointed out that many conflicts escalate from disputes over resources, arguing for the crucial role of indigenous conflict prevention frameworks in addressing these issues.
“The Centre’s existing course on Conflict Prevention includes a component specifically dedicated to indigenous approaches to preventing conflict in Africa,” Dr. Danso stressed.