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EU agreements with SA and AU

Do the EU and SA speak the same language of peace and security in Africa? Dr Kathryn Sturman Acting Head, Governance of Africa’s Resources Programme South African Institute of International Affairs Email: kathryn.sturman@saiia.org.za Ph: 021-422 0717. EU agreements with SA and AU.

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EU agreements with SA and AU

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  1. Do the EU and SA speak the same language of peace and security in Africa?Dr Kathryn SturmanActing Head, Governance of Africa’s Resources ProgrammeSouth African Institute of International AffairsEmail: kathryn.sturman@saiia.org.zaPh: 021-422 0717

  2. EU agreements with SA and AU EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership, Oct 2007: • collaboration on peace & security, plans for a forum • First EU-SA summit in July 2008 in Bordeaux with Mbeki Zimbabwe and Sudan on the agenda EU-Africa Strategy, 2005 – Aims: (1) financial support to African PSOs Euro 250 million for 2004-2007 through African Peace Facility (2) Consultations between AU PSC – EU PSC (Oct 2009) (3) ‘Establish & empower an EU-African civil society network capable of supporting peace & security initiatives

  3. SA in Africa: many levels of engagement • Diplomacy – bilateral e.g. SA-Angola Binational Commission – multilateral e.g. African Union; SADC • Business – SA companies investment in Africa – trade policy e.g. customs union • Peacekeeping/ Conflict resolution – DRC, Sudan, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Comoros • Development – African Renaissance Fund; new development agency (SADPA) • Environmental issues – climate change negotiations Multiple stakeholders: government; companies; NGOs Can SA foreign policy be an extension of national policy?

  4. Coming in from the cold… End of the Cold War = 3rd wave of democracy (Mali, Benin, Uganda…) BUT also state collapse & civil war (Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi…) SA admitted to OAU in 1994 Pres. Mandela speech to OAU summit, Libya 1994: SA from now on to be part of the solution, no longer the problem for Africa. …to US Congress, 1994: ‘Each of us as nations… should begin to define the national interest to include the genuine happiness of others, however distant in time and space their domicile might be.’

  5. Emerging regional power NEPAD seen as SA Inc. SA business investment: Transnet, Eskom, Vodacom, Shoprite, Standard Bank… Important that SA also extends good corporate governance practises e.g. AngloGold Ashanti gold mining in Ituri, DRC HR Watch Report on companies trading ‘conflict minerals’ SA civil society – MPs, media, NGOs oversight role

  6. A great leap into multileralism 1999 Mbeki’s signature African renaissance NEPAD and a blueprint for reform of the OAU SA, Nigeria, Libya led reform New institutions of AU, 2002: • Peace and Security Council • Pan-African Parliament • African Human Rights Court • African Peer Review Mechanism SA contributed Euro 7,7m to the African Peace Facility in 2004

  7. AU: From non-interference to non-indifference? Yes… Unconstitutional changes of government: sanctions & suspension after coups in Togo, Madagascar, Guinea… Democracy Charter, 2007 Peace missions to Burundi, Sudan, Somalia ACHPR reports on human rights violations in Zimbabwe elections No… AU has not acted against presidents tampering with constitutional term limits in Niger, Cameroon, Algeria, Uganda… SA has not yet ratified Rejection of ICC indictment of Sudanese Pres. al-Bashir Gaddafi elected AU Chair 2009 statements on democracy not challenged by Jean Ping

  8. Material questions: the hierarchy of AU contributions Fees formula: Big 5 pay 15% each = 75% of AU budget Staff quota: Big 5 get 17 posts each =25% of professional staff

  9. SA’s peacekeeping contribution SA no longer member of PSC • issue for discussion with Angola/ SADC Ongoing troop commitment to MONUC AU High Level Panel on Darfur chaired by Mbeki AMIS ‘came to be seen by both EU and AU as a test for how far the partnership can be taken’ – ICG Report, 2005 UNAMID hybrid mission in Darfur more successful

  10. Trilateral cooperation in Africa? Opportunities: • SADPA – but will SA development fund for Africa include peace & security operations? • Zuma presidency – closer alignment of SA and EU on Zimbabwe and Sudan; ICC international obligations confirmed Challenges: • SA no longer member of AU Peace and Security Council – needs to work indirectly through Angola • Zuma presidency – is SA still as committed to African-led peace & security missions in Africa?

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