The Impact of AU's Weak Military Cooperation on Regional Stability: Lessons From Sudan And Congo

The continuous outbreaks of conflict in Africa made the establishment of multilateral security institutions at both subregional and regional levels imperative. From the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group to the East African Standby Force and the Southern African Development Community Standby Force, sub-regional military arrangements came to life in response to growing instability. However, the establishment of the African Union to replace the Organisation of African Unity in 2002 created space for the Peace and Security Council, a unified apparatus for managing conflicts. A concept that was previously rejected. However, despite its right of intervention by using military force inside member states, the AU effort has had limited effectiveness as demonstrated in the Sudan and Congo crises, where violent crises persist. In Sudan, the AU’s fragmented coordination and over-dependence problem affected its capacity for early deployments, and in Congo, violent conflict continues to ravage the east. This article analyses the structural weakness affecting the AU's security arrangements and constraining its ability to ensure regional stability. It draws a parallel between the AU’s weak military cooperation and the proliferation of armed groups and cross-border instability.