CIAO DATE: 09/2012
August 2012
Danish Institute for International Studies
When it comes to understanding the concept of security and the way fragile security situations should be solved, the difference is big. While EASF – the East African Standby Force – is a regular military force with a rather traditional, military perception of the concept of security, EAC (East African Community) and IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) have broader perceptions of the concept. According to EAC, security also concerns matters such as policy reform, legislation, education and infrastructure. IGAD considers food security and environmental and economic issues as part of the concept. At the same time the three organisations represent different constellations of member nations and thus different national interests, and locally they have different legitimacy and political strength. Thus, when choosing collaboration partners for a security project it is not simply a question of looking at these organisations’ military capabilities. There are other concerns, such as their aims, their internal relations, regional legitimacy and so on, to take into consideration. In this DIIS Policy Brief the authors sketch some of the differences that should be taken into consideration when planning to work with these organisations. The brief is the first outcome of a research project that analyses the regional security actors in East Africa and how Denmark can contribute to the regional security through them.
Resource link: East Africa: Regional Security Organisations and Dynamics [PDF] - 114K