The Training for Peace (TfP) Programme at ACCORD participated in the African Standby Force (ASF) Evaluation Concept Workshop that was held from 21 – 23 July 2009 in Tripoli, Libya. The workshop was organised by the African Union Peace Support Operations Division (AU PSOD) in collaboration with the North African Regional Capability (NARC) in pursuant of the ASF Roadmap II which calls for an assessment of the operational readiness of the ASF and its Regional Standby Forces (RSFs) and to ensure that adequate capabilities are developed through Exercise Amani Africa which will conclude the validation process of the ASF in 2010.
In light of the above, the Workshop aimed to develop and adopt standards and guidelines for the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) for the evaluation of the operational readiness of the ASF which should consist of the continuous examination of the capabilities and performance against defined standards and criteria. It also worked towards the further development and adoption of the draft multi dimensional ASF Evaluation Concept.
The Workshop participants included representatives from the AU Commission, Regional Standby Forces (RSFs) including the East Africa Standby Force (EASF), the Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), NARC, ACCORD, the Cairo Regional Centre for Training on Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping in Africa (CCCPA) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
The workshop agreed that the operational readiness of a multidimensional ASF (which includes military, police and civilian components) cannot be realised without agreeing on certain criteria aiming at assessing the readiness and operationalisation of these three components of the five RSFs which makes up the ASF.
The main outputs of the workshop include the development of an ASF Readiness Criteria and draft Evaluation Policy Documents for the civilian, police and Military Components respectively which will be harmonised by the AU and adopted as the standards against which the Regional Standby Forces and the ASF as a whole will be assessed to determine its operational readiness leading to 2010 and beyond.
For further information on the course, please contact Mr. Zinurine Alghali on zinurine@accord.org.za.
