African solutions limping along in South Sudan
By L. Muthoni Wanyeki
Posted Saturday, May 17 2014 at 09:03
What does the phrase African solutions for African problems really mean?
In respect of African peace and security, it reflects a deep frustration
with international engagement in Africa.
That international engagement either being lacking or lacklustre. Or serving
the purposes of international interests other than our own.
Thus, finally, the provision in the African Unions Constitutive Act for the
right of AU intervention in a member state in which international crimes
crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes are being committed.
Which is not to imply that such intervention was unprecedented in practice.
In 1978, Tanzanias Julius Nyerere intervened militarily in Uganda to
overthrow the regime of Idi Amin Dada.
The then Organisation of African Union hardly fell over itself in protest.
Collectively, the OAU as a whole proceeded to intervene militarily, with the
French, in Chad in 1984. And in Western Sahara in 1984 leading to
Moroccos formal withdrawal from the OAU.
The foreign policy interests of all these military interventions are as
debatable and diverse as the foreign policy interests of any external
intervention in Africa. Whether there is any fundamental difference in
approach and strategy is equally debatable.
The whole world now sings from the liberal peace songbook: Stabilisation and
state-building the latter inevitably becoming formulaic. The eventual
fallout from such political settlements has become entirely predictable.
Which brings us to the ongoing and unnecessary tragedy of South Sudan. The
first Cessation of Hostilities agreement did not hold, was indeed ignored to
the point of worse violations of human rights being committed following its
signing than before. The ink has barely dried on the second ceasefire
agreement and still hostilities continue.
The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development has suspended the
negotiations yet again. Belligerence and intransigence continue as the
rest of the international community ratchets up its use of sticks to both
get the parties to the conflict to politically settle and ensure their
forces stop running amok on the bodies and lives of ordinary South Sudanese.
To no avail. Individual sanctions are not yet working.
Meanwhile, the AUs Commission of Inquiry has finally been to South Sudan
but only in Juba. It finally has a technical team but only three
investigators. It is finally meeting with South Sudanese civil society and
stakeholders beyond the parties to the conflict but in Nairobi.
What explains the slow pace of Africas mediation and investigations
processes? Are Igad and AU member states unable to exercise enough leverage
on the parties to the conflict to get them to reach a political settlement
themselves?
If so, are they not able to co-ordinate, guide and lead the racheting up of
external leverage in a purposeful direction? Is the Commission of Inquiry
not getting the resourcing it needs from the AU?
African solutions are not yet delivering for the people of South Sudan. A
more productive alignment of interests and collaboration is needed to ensure
that they do. Quickly.
L. Muthoni Wanyeki is Amnesty Internationals regional director for East
Africa. This column is written in her personal capacity.
EM
On the 49th Parallel
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kiiza Besigye Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni na Dk. Kiiza Besigye Uganda ni katika machafuko"
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