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= African Peace Facility =

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The African Peace Facility (APF) was set up in 2004 in response to a request by African leaders to support peace and security across Africa in the framework of the Africa-EU Partnership. It plays a critical role in backing African efforts in this area by providing funding to African-led Peace Support Operations, to the operationalisation of the African Peace and Security Architecture, as well as to conflict prevention and early crisis response initiatives through the Early Response Mechanism (ERM). Financed through the European Development Fund, the APF is the main EU funding instrument to support the African Union's and African Regional Economic Communities' efforts in the area of peace and security with an overall amount of more than EUR 2.7 billion since its inception.

= Three strands of action = The APF is active on three fronts to support African responses to conflicts on the continent: capacity building, peace support operations and the development of an early response mechanism.

Peace Support Operations (PSOs) are designed to enhance the security and stability of an area and provide a basis on which to build sustainable development. They lead on a variety of tasks, including peacekeeping, maintenance of public order, policing, infrastructure reconstruction, political dialogue and reconciliation.

African led PSOs were pivotal to the recovery and stability of Somalia, helping it rebuild after Al Shabaab control ended. They depleted Boko Haram’s strength by supporting the release of hostages and the destruction of terrorist camps and surrender of Boko Haram fighters. In Guinea Bissau PSOs provided the security conditions and stability needed to enable peaceful elections and a return to constitutional order after the 2012 coup.

The Early Response Mechanism (ERM) is an emergency mechanism providing funding to the African Union in less than ten days, aimed at the prevention, management or resolution of crises.

This rapid response allows the African Union and its local partners to take immediate action to support mediation, capacity building or any other activity to prevent the escalation of tensions in troubled areas. 37 actions have been funded by the Early Response Mechanism since 2010. For example, it allowed the African Union to support ECOWAS in ensuring respect for the results of Gambia’s presidential election in 2016 and contributed to the consolidation of peace between North and South Sudan by supporting negotiations on outstanding disputes such as border demarcation and wealth sharing.

Capacity building is the third pillar of the African Peace Facility. African institutions need sound structures and sufficient resources to plan and conduct Peace Support Operations and address local security challenges effectively. The European Union is financially supporting the operationalisation of the different elements of the African Peace and Security Architecture, enabling them to strengthen the basic institutional capacities and efficiency of the AU Commission and Regional Economic Communities.

= Support to African-led peace operations since 2004 =

African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), 2004-2007, Darfur

Multinational Force in the Central African Republic (FOMUC), 2004-2007, Central African Republic

African Union Mission for Support to the Elections in Comoros (AMISEC), 2006, Comoros

African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), 2007-2017, Somalia

African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA), 2013-2014, Central African Republic

Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord’s Resistance Army (RCI-LRA), 2013-2017, Uganda, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan

Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), 2016-2017, Lake Chad Basin

Human Rights Observers and Military Experts, 2008-2013, Burundi

Mission de consolidation de la paix en Centrafrique (FOMUC/MICOPAX), 2014-2018, Central African Republic

African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA), 2017-2019, Mali

ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), 2016-2017, Guinea Bissau

ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG), 2018, The Gambia

Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) and Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (MVM) of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), 2014-2018, South Sudan

G5 Sahel; 2017-2019, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad

= Support to ERM =

Fast facts

The largest part of APF funding is directed to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM): over EUR 1.7 billion since 2007.

APF has provided support to 14 African-led Peace Support Operations in 18 countries since 2004.

In 2017 the most active Peace Support Operations were in Somalia, Guinea Bissau, South Sudan, the Gambia, the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel and Central Africa.

APF supports the African Union in the acquisition of a Command, Control, Communication and Information System (C3IS) and in the further development of its Continental Early Warning System (CEWS).

Through the Early Response Mechanism, the APF funded four initiatives in 2017 in the field of mediation (Libya), shuttle diplomacy (South Sudan), conflict prevention related to electoral processes (Liberia) as well as the kick start of a Peace support operation (The Gambia).

= See also =

The Africa-EU Partnership

African Peace Facility - EuropeAid

Peace and Security Council – African Union

Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid

European External Action Service - EEAS

= References =

https://issafrica.org/iss-today/au-summit-31-reconfiguring-the-african-peace-facility-post-cotonou

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/04/20/development-for-security-lending-for-peace/

http://ecdpm.org/publications/evaluation-african-peace-facility/

https://ettg.eu/2018/04/16/what-lessons-from-the-african-peace-facility-for-supporting-peace-and-security-in-africa/

https://www.die-gdi.de/briefing-paper/article/sustaining-eu-financing-for-security-and-development-the-difficult-case-of-the-african-peace-facility/

https://www.friendsofeurope.org/security-europe/eus-commitment-peace-security-africa-adapt-stay-credible

https://www.ispionline.it/DOC/PEACE_AND_SECURITY_AFRICA.pdf

https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage_en/25429/Joint%20Communication%20for%20a%20renewed%20impetus%20of%20the%20Africa-EU%20Partnership