The Viability Of African Solutions To African Problems In Peace And Security Libya And Somalia As Case Studies

Africa’s history is of a struggle for self-determination; this quest for self determination has gonernthrough different phases and has also taken different forms. In the aftermath of the end of thernCold War and the onset of a multi-polar world order in the 21st century, this struggle is bestrnexpressed in Africa’s quest for Pax-Africana, a peace ‘that is protected and maintained by Africarnherself’. African Solutions to African Problems (AfSol) is a notion that bestows Africa thernleading role in defining its problems and providing solutions as well. This research upholds thernnotion of AfSol as an extension of the ideas of Pan Africanism and African Nationalism; andrnhence with strong historical roots. The research investigated the viability of African Solutions tornAfrican Problems in the security realm with AU as an institutional mechanism by taking thern2011 Libyan crisis and the peacekeeping mission deployed in Somalia (AMISOM) since 2007 asrncase studies. The study explores the practical difficulties the Union has had in providing anrnAfrican centered solution to the Libyan crisis at the initial levels of the conflict and with thernSomalia case study the study examines the kind of difficulties the Union has faced with AMISOMrnby investigating how much of the mission’s agenda are home grown as it is funded by foreignrndonors. The study followed a qualitative approach. The data used in the research is arncombination of data gathered through primary and secondary sources.rnThe AU is hampered by its own institutional and financial weaknesses in upholding AfSol in thernpeace and security realm and the study has pointed out unwarranted external intervention in therninternal affairs of African states as a difficulty that is external to the Union’s genuine efforts inrnproving African centered solutions in conflict resolution. The Libyan crisis of 2011 is one wherernthe Union has come up with a roadmap that has foreseen the challenges that any solution butrnpolitical would be a failure as its genuine efforts were sidelined because of big power interest inrnLibya. This showed a case where the Union was not even allowed to take ownership of a crisis inrnproviding African centered solutions in the continent. On the other hand AMISOM, hailed as arnsuccess story by some, is a case in point where even when some kind of African ownership isrnexercised yet African Solutions fall short as the mission is funded by external powers and theyrnhave a direct say on the kind of agenda being carried out by the mission. In conclusion the studyrnhails the notion of African Solutions to African Problems as one with a great potential forrnproviding a sustainable and lasting solutions to the peace and security challenges that hamperrnthe development of the continent. The notion is still a work in progress but it shouldn’t bernregarded as a ‘rhetoric’ as upon the institutional and financial strength of the AU; it’s one that could be achieved

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