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A security community in Africa : a critical assessment of the African Union’s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.

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Main Author: De Vos, Johannes Nicolaas
Other Authors: Swart, Gerrie
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2012
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access_status_str Open Access
author De Vos, Johannes Nicolaas
author2 Swart, Gerrie
author_browse De Vos, Johannes Nicolaas
Swart, Gerrie
author_facet Swart, Gerrie
De Vos, Johannes Nicolaas
author_sort De Vos, Johannes Nicolaas
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
format Thesis
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institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:44:22.712Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2012
publishDateRange 2012
publishDateSort 2012
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20159 A security community in Africa : a critical assessment of the African Union’s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002 De Vos, Johannes Nicolaas Swart, Gerrie Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. African Union Security community Adlern and Barnett Theses -- Political science Dissertations -- Political science Peace-building -- Burundi -- Case studies Peace-building -- Sudan -- Case studies Peace-building -- Cote d'Ivoire -- Case studies National security -- Burundi -- History -- 21st century National security Sudan -- History -- 21st century National security -- Cote d'Ivoire -- History -- 21st century African Union -- History -- 21st century Political Science Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis seeks to provide a critical discussion of the contributions of the African Union towards the potential development of an African security community since its inception in 2002. Utilising Security Community Theory, and the framework for the study of security communities developed by Adler & Barnett (1998) it commences with an interrogation of the AU. This interrogation is arranged along the three tiers of the framework. The first tier is the precipitating conditions, which cause states to orient themselves in each other’s direction and desire to coordinate their relations. The second tier investigates the factors conducive to the development of mutual trust and collective identity. The third, and final, tier identifies the necessary conditions of dependable expectations of peaceful change. The study goes on and introduces three African case studies, which illustrate the contributions of the African Union towards the potential development of an African security community. The case studies are the African Union mission in Burundi, the African Union mission in Sudan, and the recent intervention of the African Union in the post-election crisis in Côte d'Ivoire. All three case studies were able to provide ample evidence to illustrate the AU’s contributions. The study concludes with two major findings. Firstly, this study is able to illustrate that the AU has made significant contributions towards the development of peace and security in Africa. Secondly, that the AU has made significant contributions at all three tiers of the framework, and therefore major contributions to the potential development of an African security community. However, the AU is still in its embryonic phase, and any prediction concerning the existence, or potential existence of an African security community would be premature. Even though there are ostensibly, positive developments in the area of continental peace and security this study is able to illustrate several remaining challenges to further contributions by the AU. The first is a lack of resources. The AU is heavily dependent on the contributions of its member states, and a number of members persistently fail to meet their contributions to the organization. A second challenge is the loosely defined relationship with the UN (and other external partners). It is crucial that a constructive relationship be established, if not, differences might antagonise the two organisations and negatively affect any future contributions of the AU towards the development of an African security community. Finally, the role of core states, most notably regional hegemons such as South Africa and Nigeria will remain important for stabilizing and encouraging the further development of an African security community. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis poog om n kritiese bespreking te bied van die bydra wat die Afrika Unie na die potensiele ontwikkeling van n Afrika sekuriteits gemeenskap gemaak het sedert sy intrede in 2002. Deur gebruik te maak van Sekuriteits Gemeeenskap Teorie, en die raamwerk vir die studie van sekuriteits gemeenskappe deur Adler & Barnett (1998) begin die studie met n direkte ondersoek van die AU. Hierdie ondersoek vind plaas volgens die drie vlakke van die raamwerk. Die eerste vlak is die kondisies wat veroorsaak dat state hulself na mekaar orienteer, en n wil ontwikkel om hulle sake te koordineer. Die tweede vlak ondersoek die faktore vir die ontwikkeling van wedersydse vertroue en gesamentlike identiteit. Die derde, en finale, vlak identifiseer die nodige kondisies van afhanklike verwagtinge vir vreedsame verandering. Die studie gaan voort met drie Afrika geval studies, wat die bydra van die AU na die potensiele ontwikkeling van n Afrika sekuriteits gemeenskap illustreer. Die geval studies sluit in die Afrika missie in Burundi, die Afrika missie in Sudan, en die onlangse intervensie deur die AU in die na-eleksie krisis in Côte d'Ivoire. Al drie geval studies verskaf wye getuienis wat die bydra van die AU illustreer. Die studie sluit af met twee hoof bevindings. Eerstens, kon hierdie studie illustreer dat die AU betekenisvolle bydraes na die ontwikkeling van vrede en sekuriteit in Afrika gemaak het. Tweedens, dat die AU betekenisvolle bydraes op al drie vlakke van die raamwerk gemaak het, en daarom ook mondige bydraes tot die potensiele ontwikkeling van n Afrika sekuriteits gemeenskap gemaak het. Nogtans, is die AU self nog in n onvolwasse stadium, en enige voorspelling in verband met die bestaan, of oor die potensiele bestaan van n Afrika sekuriteits gemeenskap is voortydig. Al is daar opmerkilike positiewe ontwikkelinge in die area van kontinentale vrede en sekuriteit, kan hierdie studie steeds verskeie uitdagings identifiseer wat verdere bydraes deur die AU kan hinder. Die eerste uitdaging is n tekort aan bevondsing. Die AU is hoogs afhanklik op die bydrae van sy lidmaat state, maar n paar lede mis aanhoudend hulle bydraes tot die orginasasie. n Tweede uitdaging is die ongedefineerde verhouding tussen die AU en die VN (en ander eksterne vennote). Dit is belangrik dat n konstruktiewe verhouding in werk gestel word, indien nie, kan verskille die twee organisasies van mekaar dryf en enige toekomstige bydraes van die AU na die potensiele ontwikkeling van n Afrika sekuriteits kompleks negatief beinvloed. Laastens, sal die rol van kern state, mees aanmerklik streek leiers soos Suid Afrika en Nigerie, belangrik bly om die sekuriteits kompleks te stabiliseer en verdere ontwikkeling in die toekoms te bevorder. Masters 2012-03-01T18:42:53Z 2012-03-30T10:48:08Z 2012-03-01T18:42:53Z 2012-03-30T10:48:08Z 2012-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20159 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xii, 105 p. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle African Union
Security community
Adlern and Barnett
Theses -- Political science
Dissertations -- Political science
Peace-building -- Burundi -- Case studies
Peace-building -- Sudan -- Case studies
Peace-building -- Cote d'Ivoire -- Case studies
National security -- Burundi -- History -- 21st century
National security Sudan -- History -- 21st century
National security -- Cote d'Ivoire -- History -- 21st century
African Union -- History -- 21st century
Political Science
De Vos, Johannes Nicolaas
A security community in Africa : a critical assessment of the African Union’s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002
title A security community in Africa : a critical assessment of the African Union’s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002
title_full A security community in Africa : a critical assessment of the African Union’s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002
title_fullStr A security community in Africa : a critical assessment of the African Union’s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002
title_full_unstemmed A security community in Africa : a critical assessment of the African Union’s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002
title_short A security community in Africa : a critical assessment of the African Union’s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002
title_sort security community in africa a critical assessment of the african union s contribution towards the construction of a potential security community since 2002
topic African Union
Security community
Adlern and Barnett
Theses -- Political science
Dissertations -- Political science
Peace-building -- Burundi -- Case studies
Peace-building -- Sudan -- Case studies
Peace-building -- Cote d'Ivoire -- Case studies
National security -- Burundi -- History -- 21st century
National security Sudan -- History -- 21st century
National security -- Cote d'Ivoire -- History -- 21st century
African Union -- History -- 21st century
Political Science
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20159
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