The Future of Peacekeeping in Africa: Comparative Analyses of DRC, Somalia and the Lake Chad Basin (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung)

Panel 4: The Future of Peacekeeping in Africa: Comparative Analyses of DRC, Somalia and the Lake Chad Basin (KAS)

Since 2000, the UN has conducted over 50 peacekeeping operations in Africa. Today, only four UN-led missions remain active on the continent. While UN-led efforts are declining, regionally driven peace initiatives are on the rise. With the adoption of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) in 2002, the African Union (AU) signalled its commitment to taking a larger role in Peace Support Operations (PSOs). Since then, the AU has deployed 27 peace operations and is currently involved in 10 active PSOs across 17 African countries that have been either authorized, mandated, or launched by the AU. Cooperation with the UN remains a priority, particularly in terms of funding and international legitimacy through the UN Security Council (UNSC). The adoption of UNSC 2719 in 2023 introduced a new framework for financing and authorizing AU-led peace operations.

The ongoing PSOs across Africa have adopted varying approaches to peacekeeping. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), MONUSCO operates as a purely UN-led mission, later supplemented by REC-led efforts from the East African Community (EAC) and following diplomatic tensions with Kinshasa, by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), under the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), is a regionally driven initiative operating independently, though it has AU authorization. In Somalia, newly established AUSSOM, like its predecessors, follows a hybrid model: it is mandated by the UN Security Council, operationalized by the AU, funded by the EU, and executed by troop-contributing countries (TCCs).

The diversity of peacekeeping models in Africa raises critical questions: Which approach is the most effective? Should peacekeeping be primarily UN- or AU-led? Is a hybrid model preferable? What role should RECs play? And how will these missions be financed as the international community continues to scale back its financial commitments?

Kampala Geopolitics Conference 2025

• Session Type: Keynote Address
• Time: 11:15 am
• Venue: Yusuf Lule CTF building at Makerere University ( Broadcasted)