The Africa Peace Insight initiative, launched by the Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro), seeks to address the overreliance of African nations on foreign military presence by advocating for the partial demilitarization of the continent.
This baseline assessment provides an overview of the progress made, challenges encountered, and gaps identified in the first year of the initiative’s implementation.
The report also outlines the path forward, offering key recommendations for continued action.
Key Objectives of Africa Peace Insight
- Promote Sovereignty: Advocate for African nations to regain control over their security apparatus and reduce external military influence.
- Foster Peace and Security: Encourage homegrown peacebuilding solutions and self-reliant security structures.
- Engage Regional and International Actors: Build partnerships with regional bodies, including the African Union (AU), to develop African-led security frameworks.
Progress Made in the First Year
In the first year, the Africa Peace Insight initiative has made notable strides in raising awareness and catalyzing significant actions.
Several African nations have shown a strong commitment to reducing foreign military presence:
Mali: Expelled French forces in 2022, marking a critical turning point in its efforts to regain security autonomy.
Burkina Faso: Severed military agreements with France and the U.S., signaling a shift towards national security capacity-building.
Niger: Followed Mali’s lead by removing foreign military forces, advancing the demilitarization agenda.
Chad and Senegal: Both countries have made commitments to reducing foreign military footprints in favor of regional and domestic security solutions.
These actions indicate a growing momentum towards demilitarization, though the pace and scope of implementation vary across nations.
Challenges and Gaps Identified
Despite the progress, several challenges persist in the push for a demilitarized Africa:
- Continued Foreign Military Presence: Nations such as Djibouti, Kenya, and Somalia continue to host significant foreign military bases, often driven by strategic security concerns and geopolitical considerations.
- Private Military Contractors: The increasing presence of private military companies, especially in conflict zones like the Central African Republic, complicates the demilitarization efforts. These entities often operate outside national oversight.
- Security Instability: Ongoing conflicts, particularly in the Sahel and East Africa, necessitate external military assistance to combat insurgencies and terrorist groups.
- Geopolitical Influence: The interests of global powers, including the U.S., China, and Russia, in maintaining military bases in Africa undermine efforts for greater sovereignty and security autonomy.
Opportunities for Progress
- Regional Security Initiatives: The African Union (AU) and regional bodies like ECOWAS provide critical platforms for creating Africa-led security mechanisms. Strengthening these institutions will reduce the need for external military involvement.
- Capacity Building: Investment in national security forces and peacebuilding institutions will enable African states to address internal and regional conflicts independently.
- Diplomatic Engagement: Engaging foreign powers diplomatically to renegotiate military presence agreements can help ensure alignment with Africa’s long-term security interests and sovereignty.
Recommendations for the Next 12 Months
Based on the baseline assessment, PeacePro recommends the following actions to further the goals of the Africa Peace Insight initiative:
- Renewed Commitment to Sovereignty: African nations should review and reassess their military agreements with foreign powers, ensuring these agreements align with long-term security needs and sovereignty.
- Strengthen Regional Partnerships: African countries must collaborate within regional frameworks such as the AU and ECOWAS, including Alliance of Sahel States to create more robust, Africa-led security solutions that reduce dependence on foreign military presence.
- Increase Public Awareness: Ongoing advocacy is crucial to raise awareness about the dangers of over-reliance on foreign military presence and emphasize the importance of local solutions to security challenges.
- Phased Demilitarization: Governments hosting foreign military forces should outline clear, actionable roadmaps for gradually reducing foreign military presence, with defined timelines and milestones.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish mechanisms to track and evaluate the progress of demilitarization efforts, ensuring accountability at the national and regional levels.
Conclusion
The baseline assessment of the Africa Peace Insight report highlights that significant progress has been made in the first year, with key nations taking decisive steps toward demilitarization.
However, much work remains to be done.
PeacePro is committed to supporting African nations on their journey toward security autonomy and sovereignty.
The next 12 months will be pivotal in maintaining momentum toward demilitarization and ensuring that African nations are empowered to manage their peace and security independently.
Signed,
Abdulrazaq Hamzat
Executive Director, Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro)
December 22, 2024
