Projects > Brief descriptions > Supporting the development of the police component of the African Standby Force (ASF)

Contact person

Ms Sabine Wenz
Email: sabine.wenz@giz.de

Supporting the development of the police component of the African Standby Force (ASF)

Project description

Title: Strengthening the capacities of police structures in Africa – African Standby Force (ASF)
Commissioned by: German Federal Foreign Office (AA)
Country: Africa, supra-regional; headquarters located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Lead executing agency: African Union (AU), Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD)
Overall term: 2008 to 2012

Context

Violent political conflicts and military aggression are hindering development in many African countries. The capacities and structures needed to settle disputes without violence and maintain peace are not yet sufficiently robust.

The African Union (AU) and the African regional economic communities and regional mechanisms now play an increasingly important role in crisis prevention, conflict transformation and peace building in Africa. A joint peacekeeping force, the African Standby Force, is to be established by 2015 for the purpose of settling armed disputes. Police units are also being prepared as part of the ASF for deployment to crisis regions.

Objective

The functional capacities of the police component of the African Standby Force are strengthened through improved planning and coordination processes in the Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD).

Approach

GIZ is carrying out a programme on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office (AA) to strengthen the capacities of police structures in Africa. This programme is active in several African countries. It strengthens police forces and police institutions through measures to provide training, infrastructure and equipment and also develops management capacities.

Within the framework of the African Union’s peacekeeping operations, the deployment of military force is to be complemented by civilian and police components. The African police programme supports the AU's efforts to establish the police component and thus contributes to the development of Africa’s peace and security architecture. The GIZ programme works with the Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD) – the department of the AU Commission responsible for peacekeeping operations – in setting up a multi-dimensional body capable of planning and running peacekeeping missions.

Four police experts, three of whom are financed by GIZ, are providing support to PSOD staff and helping to improve conceptual planning. The main objective is to develop the capacities of the police force. In addition, the programme’s experts offer advice on planning and organisational issues. The programme also supports police offers in complying with guidelines by drawing up standard operating procedures and improving the concepts underpinning police training courses for peacekeeping missions.

Results achieved so far

Peacekeeping operations are high on the AU Commission’s agenda and there is now strong political interest in developing the police component of the African Standby Force.

As a result of the presence and professionalism of the AU police planners, the interests of the police within this structure are being pursued more intensively and in greater detail. This is helping to improve multi-dimensional planning and cooperation (i.e. among the military, police and civilian components). African police officers are now working side-by-side with soldiers and civilian experts within the PSOD’s multi-dimensional structure.

There is regular communication between the PSOD’s police component and regional police planning units. Thus, coordination and planning processes within the police sector are being harmonised and standardised across the continent (e.g. training).