how China can help address weaknesses

African leaders are committed to ending armed conflicts on the continent and promoting lasting peace and economic prosperity. This is in line with the African Union master plan for the continent. Sadly, the leadership pledge in 2013 to “silence the guns” by 2020 has failed.

Bloody conflicts continue to rage in many parts of Africa. This includes the Lake Chad Basin, Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique, Gulf of Guinea, Somalia and Tigray Province in Ethiopia. Conflicts hamper the economic development of the continent.

Failure to end the conflict shows that member states are not taking AU decisions seriously, according to a 2017 report by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, then President of the African Union (AU). This gives little credibility to the continental body.

Very little has changed since Kagame’s report. The inadequate response to security crises continues. Indeed, most of the 55 Member States do not have the capacity to fulfill its mandate. There is also a lack of political will to implement its peace and security programs. Rather, the emphasis is on respecting the sovereignty of nation states.

The African Peace and Security Architecture

Ongoing conflicts indicate that the AU’s peace and security architecture is failing to prevent or manage conflict and build peace – despite some progress. The failures extend to the organization’s eight regional economic communities.

The architecture consists of the Peace and Security Council, supported by the AU Commission, the Panel of the Wise, the Continental Early Warning System, the African Standby Force and the Africa Peace Fund.

The main reason for the failure of the peace and security architecture is organizational dysfunction. The result is an “ineffective response to security crises”.

My ongoing research on a new paradigm for peace and security in Africa examines how China can help address this weakness.

China’s contribution to peace and security in Africa

China is already contributing to the AU’s peace and security goals. This, through capacity building for socio-economic development and education for social transformation. It also contributes to peace missions in Africa.

China can also strengthen the AU’s military response capability by using the People’s Liberation Army’s vast military knowledge. This is particularly true of the non-combatant developmental approach to post-civil war peacebuilding, including the implementation of poverty reduction programs.

Chinese military aid to Africa is shaped by the Beijing Action Plan for China-Africa Cooperation (2019-2021). The plan includes assistance for military, police and counterterrorism activities.

It also provides for the development of the African Standby Force. The force is supposed to allow the AU to intervene in “grave circumstances” such as genocide.

China-Africa military cooperation takes the form of intelligence exchange, training of military personnel, commercial arms sales, and regular peace and security forums. China also provides training on law enforcement.

Specific military aid includes support to countries in the Sahel region, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Guinea and the Horn of Africa.

China’s development model

The “Chinese model” of development could be a model for the modernization and transformation of African economies. The model includes “going global” to find multilateral solutions to reduce costs and share the burden of development.

China’s new strategy for Africa is to strengthen its soft power. Peace missions, cultural exchanges, educational projects and the financing of educational infrastructure in Africa are an integral part of this strategy.

The strategy serves China’s interests. Helping to create safe investment environments benefits its economy. This, while promoting transparent, accountable and rules-based governance in Africa.

China is heavily invested in Africa. In 2020, despite a difficult global market, trade between China and Africa amounted to nearly US $ 180 billion. Although lower than US $ 208.7 billion in 2019, China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 12 years.

Multilateral platforms

At the multilateral level, China’s security cooperation with Africa was strengthened by the first China-Africa Defense and Security Forum in June 2018. It focuses on peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions.

China is strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces of several African states under bilateral and multilateral agreements. It has strong bilateral relations with South Africa and Rwanda, for example. It also maintains strategic links with several North African countries.

China’s current peace and security activities indicate a shift from its erstwhile non-interference policy to one that involves post-conflict peacebuilding. This includes socio-economic reconstruction, which is vital for Africa’s development. In this regard, China’s vast military and development experience will play a leading role.

Although China insists on a multilateral approach to peace and stability in Africa, it continues to collaborate with various African states. For example, most of its East African projects are bilateral, intergovernmental or private sector projects.

A word of warning

Given the challenges of the African Union’s ability to end or contain a deadly conflict, cooperation with China offers African states a chance to eradicate insecurity and instability for their own development and prosperity.

But they must be careful that their partnership with China does not turn into another relationship of dependency and exploitation.

Dries Velthuizen does not work, consult, own stock, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has not disclosed any relevant affiliation beyond his academic appointment.

By Dries Velthuizen, Professor, University of South Africa