Regional collective security mechanisms in Eastern Africa: The case of the Eastern Africa standby force from 2004-2015

Abstract

The modern state has had limitations as the sole provider of peace and security to its people. This is related to the post-cold war security challenges such as the increased number of intra state conflicts, the effects of globalization on security matters and other new security challenges like non-conventional warfare. These new security dynamics call for concerted efforts among states in managing conflicts and maintaining peace and security, both at the international level, regional and sub-regional levels. In Africa, based on Chapter VIII of the United Nations Organization security Charter which provides for pacific settlement of local disputes through regional arrangement or sub regional agencies, and based on the need for concerted efforts in responding to African problems using mechanisms that best suit the continent, the continent formed the Organization of African Union, and later the African Union to help manage conflicts in the region. At the sub-regional level, several regional economic communities with overlapping membership and competing objectives were formed in the Eastern Africa to help the region achieve economic growth and development. However with the realization that human security was important to achieving economic growth and development in the region, most of these RECs had to restructure so as to include security in their agendas. The Eastern Africa region has been regionalizing its peace and security initiatives through the existing RECs and regional development organizations. The latest security mechanism that has been developed to help address security threats in the region and beyond is the Eastern African Standby Force. This is the Eastern Africa’s sub regional branch of the continental collective security mechanism-the African Standby Force.