Forging Order out of Chaos?: Exploring the Challenges and Prospects for the EU principle of Local Ownership of Sustainable Peace-building in sub-Saharan Africa

(James-Emmanuel Amaanwi Wanki, University of Limerick)

Potentially, the European Union has an important role to play in ensuring that the whole range of its response strategies contribute towards building durable peace and security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The principle of African pre-eminence and ownership is central amongst the principles that constitute the bases for EU approach to conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa. With regard to this principle, Africans are to assume primary responsibility for peace-building, conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa.

Arguing for a sustainable EU contribution to building peace in Africa, this paper highlights existing and emerging challenges to this end. It explores the key existing and emerging challenges relating to strengthening endogenous capacity to assume peace-building tasks-on the part of the EU, as well as those affecting SSA. It does not, however, promote short-term solutions (by the EU) to deeply entrenched security-related issues in Africa; rather, a long-term commitment that is based on a recognition of the full scale of challenges.

The golden fleece of this paper would be highlighting the limitations inherent in the implementation of the local ownership approach; while proposing new ways of re-invigorating the EU response strategies geared at strengthening African capacity for tackling its security challenges.