The African Standby Force (ASF) Civilian Foundation Course (CFC) for Peace Support Operations (PSOs) was held from 07 – 11 October 2024 at the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPTC). The training was hosted by the African Union Commission’s (AUC)’s Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD), in partnership with ACCORD and the SADC RPTC.
The CFC brought together participants from Botswana, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The course aimed to build the capacity and capabilities of the African Standby Capacity (ASC) rostered members to prepare them for the Civilian Component in Peace Support Operations (PSOs).
The ASF CFC for PSOs is a mandatory training for rostered civilian experts that provides participants with realistic insights on the conceptual and institutional frameworks of multidimensional PSOs, cross cutting issues and an overview of core functional areas, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of all the components in a multidimensional PSO. The training developed and enhanced the deployable capabilities of participants by instilling in them the guiding principles, mindset, knowledge, and skills necessary for conducting PSOs. Additionally, it provided the rostered members with a solid understanding of the international legal context required for PSOs, including the Charters and Statutes of the United Nations, AU, and Regional Economic Communities / Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs). Furthermore, it equipped them with the technical, tactical, and specialized knowledge needed to contribute to successful operations in a multidimensional environment. Building the capacity of civilians on the ASC Roster has been necessitated by the increase of ad-hoc missions in Africa, bilateral peace and security arrangements amongst member states, Unconstitutional Changes of Governments, and the evolving field of conflict.
ACCORD’s participation in the CFC training, assessed the applicability and usage of the CFC training package, which was revised in 2021. ACCORD’s participation also included contributing to the training by facilitating sessions on the ASC Roster, Negotiation and Mediation, and Managing Stress in PSOs. ACCORD’s support to the CFC for PSOs is in line with the institution’s strategic objective to enhance the institutional responses of the AU and RECs/RMs to complex conflicts. Through the TfP Programme, ACCORD continues to support the AU’s concerted efforts towards building a pool of ready-to-deploy civilian experts.
