The Africa European Cooperation in Maintaining Peace, Security and Stability in Africa: a Critical Analysis of the Joint Africa-eu Strategy Framework

Abstract

This research sought to examine the Africa-EU cooperation in maintaining peace security and stability in Africa. It narrowed down to the Assessment of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy Framework as an instrument adopted by the two continental bodies in ensuring that their mandate is achieved. To bring to question the effectiveness of the strategy, various factors were looked into; these included a closer look at the structural and functional nature of the JAES strategy and areas where the cooperation between the AU and EU has been witnessed through interventions. Finally, the major drawbacks that the strategy has had in its implementations; especially outward facing effects such as the influence of emerging powers that have shown a lot of interest in Africa. China’s interests and influence are discussed at length in that respect. The study applies Structural Realism theory to mirror the need for cooperation and the popularity of the intensive integration processes. The assumptions of the Structural Realism theory that states are anarchic, offensive, and unpredictable in intentions advances for a look into International Relations through structures and systems rather than the Units of the systems (States) to work together for a common good in a bid to survive in the system. The study found out that some of that although there have been success in some areas in the AU-EU cooperation in maintaining peace and security, the challenges in the implementation of the strategy lie in the institutional framework capacity, ideological differences between the AU and the EU, state-centric hegemonic interests also hamper the mandate of the strategy. It is the view of this study that there is need to embrace the Africa diversity conflict resolutions approaches, that the unequivocal role played by the regional blocs in maintaining peace and security in their respective regions be recognised . The study also recommends the need for African countries to finance the strategy for efficiency and ownership