African Standby Force

The African Standby Force is intended to be an international, continental African military force, with both a civilian and police component, under the direction of the African Union. It is to be deployed in times of crisis in Africa. It is planned that by 2010 the force will be operational.

The genesis of the African Standby Force is contained in a document which provides a framework for the structure of the ASF.

The establishment of the ASF has been envisioned in two parts:

1. Regional Economic Communities would complement the African Union by establishing regional standby forces up to a brigade size.

2. In time, the idea is, is that the AU will be good enough at peacekeeping activities to handle missions with varying degrees of compexity, thereby allowing the ASF to maintain a purely supplemental role.

Currently, Africa's five regions are in the process of setting up their regional brigades and agreeing on issues of harmonisation and standardisation between them. Current seat is Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

External links

* [http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/AUC/Departments/PSC/Asf/asf.htm African Standby Force]
*Steve Mbogo, [http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/Article.aspx?id=429 African Peacekeeping Force Development Continues Despite Funding Challenges] , World Politics Watch, Dec. 21, 2006.