Common African Defence and Security Policy
During the Inaugural Session of the Assembly of the African Union, held in Durban, South Africa, in July 2002, the Heads of State and Government stressed the need for a Common African Defence and Security Policy in the context of the Constitutive Act of the African Union. The Assembly further requested its Chairperson, the President of South Africa, to establish a group of experts to examine all aspects related to the establishment of such a Common Policy and to submit their recommendations for consideration at its next ordinary session.
As a follow-up to that decision, the Commission was requested to prepare a Concept Paper on the subject. Further, the Government of South Africa hosted a first meeting of experts on a Common African Defence and Security Policy at Randburg, South Africa, from 27 to 29 March 2003, which considered the concept paper.
The discussions at the meeting proceeded under the following themes:
- the definition of a Common African Defence and Security Policy, based on perceived threats;
- the purposes and goals of a Common African Defence and Security Policy;
- the principles and values underlying such a Common African Defence and Security Policy;
- the Mechanisms and Structures of a Common African Defence and Security Policy;
- toward the elaboration of a document on a Common African Defence and Security Policy.
At the end of that first meeting of experts, the consensus reached was that the process for establishing a Common African Defence and Security Policy would be defined by a gradual and incremental approach, thus permitting the inclusion of the inputs of stakeholders at the national level, as well as encouraging the forging of common positions that would constitute the foundations of such a common policy.
In their deliberations at Randburg, the experts also considered what form the document that would contain the Common African Defence and Security Policy should take. The experts were of the view that efforts should focus on elaborating the content of the document, and that questions relating to what form it would take and what its nature would be could be resolved as the process evolved and with appropriate guidance from Council.
The AU Commission was requested by the experts' meeting to prepare a draft policy document on the proposed Common African Defence and Security Policy based on the outcome of their first meeting; the anticipated views and comments of Member States after the due consultations expected to take place at national level; as well as the relevant parts of the Concept Paper and the Draft Memorandum of Understanding submitted by South Africa.
Pursuant to the above, the AU Commission prepared the draft policy document in question, entitled “Framework for the Draft Common African Defence and Security Policy”, which was discussed. By a second meeting of experts which took place at Sun City, South Africa, on 19 – 20 May 2003.
At its Extraordinary Session held in Sun City, South Africa, from 21 to 23 May 2003, Council took note of the Framework for the Draft Common African Defence and Security Policy as proposed by the experts' meeting and recommended that consultations on the issue should continue with all the stakeholders, including Ministers in charge of Defence and Security Matters.
During the AU Summit held in Maputo in July 2003, the Assembly considered the issue and took the following decision:
It:
• COMMENDS the efforts deployed by the Outgoing Chairperson of the Union, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, to implement the Durban Decision on the establishment of the Common African Defence and Security Policy; and the document prepared towards that end, namely the Draft Framework for a Common African Defence and Security Policy;
• TAKES NOTE of the said Draft Framework, as reviewed by the 3 rd Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council held in Sun City, South Africa, from 21 to 24 May 2003;
• TAKES NOTE FURTHER, of the comments made by Heads of State and Government during the debate, which constituted contributions to the on-going discussion of the matter;
• REQUESTS the Commission to conduct further consultations with all stakeholders including Ministers responsible for Defence and Security and Legal Experts with the view to finalizing the Common African Defence and Security Policy in time for consideration by the next Session of the Assembly; or at an Extraordinary Session of the Assembly to be convened by the Current Chairperson if deemed necessary.
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