Update on the Operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF)
Date | 29 January 2025
Tomorrow (30 January), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will convene its 1257th session with two agenda items. Following the Consideration of the Report of the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa; and the Report on the implementation of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silencing the Guns in Africa: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects, the Council will receive Updates on the status of the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF).
Following the opening statement of the Chairperson of the PSC for the month of January, Ennio Maes, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cote D’Ivoire, Bankole Adeoye, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), is expected to present the progress made in the operationalisation of the Force with a specific focus on the steps undertaken to facilitate the consultative process for the Strategic Review of the ASF.
The ASF, envisioned under Article 13 of the PSC Protocol as a cornerstone of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), was designed to serve as Africa’s primary mechanism for peace support operations (PSOs) and crisis intervention. Despite being declared fully operational in 2015, the ASF continues to face significant challenges, particularly in political coordination, logistical readiness, and rapid deployment capabilities.
The last time the PSC convened on the ASF was during its 1159th session held at the ministerial level on 22 June 2023, where it requested the AU Commission, among other things, to expedite ‘the strategic review of the ASF in order to align it with contemporary security challenges facing the continent’ drawing on Conclusions of the Inaugural Lessons Learned Forum on AU Peace Support Operations that was held in November 2022, in Abuja, Nigeria and subsequently adopted by the Council. Previously, the PSC, in its 1129th session, had also requested the Commission to use the identified lessons in reviewing and reconceptualising the ASF Concept, with a view to ensuring its alignment with the AU Doctrine on PSOs and to ensure the readiness of the ASF to address the contemporary complex, multifaceted and dynamic peace and security challenges facing Africa. The process seeks to ensure that the ASF remains fit for purpose while ensuring its integration with the AU’s peace support operations doctrine.
It is expected that in tomorrow’s session the Commission will provide updates regarding the engagements it had with key stakeholders for the strategic review of the ASF. It is to be recalled that the Commission had held a technical consultative meeting with ASF RECs/RMs Planning Elements (PLAMELMs), strategic partners and subject matter experts and resources persons in in Algiers from 2-4 December 2024.
A major impediment to the ASF’s operationalisation has been the lack of political consensus and institutional alignment between the AU and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs). While the adoption of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the 15th Specialised Technical Committee on Defence, Safety, and Security (STCDSS) in May 2023 was a step forward that clarified roles and responsibilities in planning, deployment, and post-deployment stages, it has not fully resolved underlying tensions. Political sensitivities, including competing interests among RECs, continue to impede seamless coordination. This misalignment complicates decision-making and affects the ASF’s ability to plan, deploy, and manage missions efficiently. The ASF’s operational readiness requires clear frameworks and greater harmonisation of roles and responsibilities under AU leadership.
The ASF’s readiness varies across regions. While the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) have made substantial progress, other regions face ongoing challenges that include resource shortages and limited coordination, which are exacerbated by debates over the balance of authority between RECs and the AU. ECOWAS, for instance, has expressed a strong desire to retain control over deployments within its jurisdiction, creating potential conflicts with the AU’s broader coordination role. It is expected that tomorrow’s session will take an interest in enhancing coordination between the Planning Elements (PLANELMs) of the RECs/RMs and the Continental PLANEL in order to facilitate harmonisation of decision-making on the deployment of the ASF based on the principles of subsidiarity, complementarity and comparative advantages to ensure that the ASF can operate as a unified and effective force. To this effect, the AU Commission has held consultations with the five ASF PLANELMs, including EASF, ECCAS, ECOWAS, SADC and NARC, on 5 December 2024 in Algiers.
Logistical readiness also remains another significant obstacle to the ASF’s operationalisation. The establishment of the Continental Logistics Base (CLB) in Douala, Cameroon, in 2018 was a step forward, but the incomplete development of Regional Logistics Depots (RLDs) continues to hinder the ASF’s capacity for rapid deployment. Strategic airlift capabilities, vital for moving troops, equipment, and supplies, also remain inadequate. Recognising this gap, the PSC’s 1159th session had requested the AU Commission to expedite the assessment exercise of pledged strategic lift aircraft as part of efforts to enhance strategic lift capability and the finalisation of the agreements for the utilisation of the pledged strategic lift assets to enable ASF rapid deployment of troops, reinforcement of troops, casualty evacuations and timely logistic supplies in conflict zones. The ASF’s maritime readiness is also another area requiring attention as preparations for the first ASF maritime exercise are undergoing progress, but further investment is still required to establish a robust maritime component within the ASF. On the Continental Logistics Base, while welcoming the structures approved by the 36th ordinary session of the Assembly, the PSC may appeal to Member States to support the efforts for the mobilisation of the required budget of USD 4,717,606.45 for the approved structures.
In the context of the shift in the nature of conflicts with conflicts involving terrorist groups having become dominant in recent years, the ASF’s potential role in counter-terrorism is another area of strategic importance. The growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism across the Sahel, Horn of Africa, and other regions necessitates adapting the assumption that underpinned the conception of the ASF with its focus on intra-state conflicts. This has prompted questions on the need for specialised and rapid-response capability. It was against this background that the PSC adopted a decision to establish a counter-terrorism unit within the ASF during its 960th session in October 2020, which remains a key priority. Tomorrow’s session will also present an opportunity to follow up on this decision.
Despite the challenges it faces, the ASF framework offers an unparalleled opportunity for standardising training, enhancing interoperability, and building institutional resilience across Africa’s security architecture. Many troops have benefited from ASF-led training programs, which have built a shared understanding of operational procedures and improved readiness. While RECs and ad hoc arrangements have often deployed peace support operations independently, integrating such initiatives into the ASF framework will enhance collective security efforts and optimise resources.
In terms of follow-up on the request for a strategic review of the ASF, including by the PSC, initial steps were taken last December with the convening of the meeting in Algeria. The consultative meetings held in Algiers, Algeria, which included the Technical Consultative Meeting on the ASF and consultations with ASF RECs/RMs, have been centred around the themes of legal and policy framework of the ASF, the political challenges facing its operationalisation, securing predictable and sustained financing, operational challenges facing ASF and mechanisms to enhance the capacities of ASF. However, the AU Commission claims that the strategic review process of the ASF continues to face delays due to funding gaps. One way of overcoming this is to leverage the Network of Think Tanks for Peace that the PAPS department assembled.
Efforts to develop the ASF’s cost-sharing model must continue, as this approach promotes joint regional solutions and shared responsibility in addressing security challenges. By refining this model, the ASF can encourage greater financial commitment and ownership among member states and RECs/RMs. The efforts in collective resource mobilisation and sharing need to be aligned with the legal expectations of the PSC Protocol. The AU also needs to seize the opportunity that Resolution 2719 presents in affirming the central role of the AU and its leadership as envisaged in the PSC protocol in the deployment of peace support operations.
The PSC’s directive to integrate ASF principles into all AU peace support operations represents a significant step toward institutionalising the framework. Moreover, the alignment of the ASF’s concept with the AU’s doctrine on PSOs would ensure that its operations are guided by a coherent strategic vision. As Africa faces increasingly complex and multifaceted security threats, the ASF remains an indispensable tool for promoting peace and stability.
The ASF remains central to realising the vision of African-led peace and security, but its potential can only be fully realised through concerted efforts to overcome its enduring challenges. As the PSC deliberates on the ASF’s future, it must prioritise ensuring unity of purpose among AU member states and RECs, ensuring that the ASF serves as a symbol of African solidarity and a practical mechanism for achieving peace and security.
The expected outcome of tomorrow’s session is a communique.