Policy Framework on ASF and MSC Part One

Chapter 5

Recommendations and way forward

The African Standby Force

The Basics of the Force

It is recommended that an ASF be established in two phases, with Phase 1 to 30 June 2005 , and Phase 2 to 30 June 2010 . The Meeting confirmed the importance of the brigade level as the basis for a viable peace operations capability. Taking into account financial reality, previous ACDS guidance and experiences, in broad outline the Meeting further recommends that the ASF be developed in phases to provide:
1. A reasonable level of staffing to develop a strategic level HQ capacity, managing an on-call individual reinforcement system to gain mission level (ASF) HQ capacity, and specialist mission level civilian components.
2. System of Regionally managed standby brigade, eventually capable of deployment in 30 days and a pool of units on standby in Member States that are supported by appropriate administrative, logistics and training infrastructures.
3. An AU Strategic HQ located at the AU Commission capable of managing, planning and conducting all necessary arrangements for employment of the Standby Force. The Strategic HQ must be supported by necessary systems capable of rendering appropriate support for its operations and functions.
4. An AU-managed standby system of military observers, civilian and police capacity.
Goals, Priorities and Deployment Timelines
The Meeting recommends the following long-term deployment targets for the ASF from an AU mandate resolution:
1. Simpler missions (scenarios 1-4) should be able to deploy in 30 days;
2. Complex missions (scenario 5) should complete deployment in 90 days, with the military component being able to deploy in 30 days ; and
3. Due to the nature of situations demanding intervention operations, (scenario 6), it will be important the AU can eventually deploy a robust military force in 14 days .
Multidimensional Strategic Level Management Capability
The Meeting recommends that strategic level HQ management capacity should be developed in two phases:
1. Phase 1 (Up to 30 June 2005 ).
  1. AU Capability
    
    The AU should develop and maintain the full time capacity to manage Scenario 1 and 2 (AU/Regional military advice to political mission and co-deployed observer) missions, and establish a standby reinforcement system to manage Scenario 3 (stand alone observer) missions. The AU should also develop a system of communication with the Regions.
  2. Regional Capability
    Regions should within capacity develop/evolve their standby brigades within this phase. Where they can develop standby brigade groups, Regions should by the end of this phase also develop the capacity to use a standby reinforcement system to manage Scenario 4 (AU/Regional PKF) missions.
2. Phase 2 ( 1 July 2005 - 30 June 2010 )
  1. AU Capability
    
    In this period, while maintaining its full time capacity to manage Scenario 1 and 2, the AU should develop the capacity to manage up to Scenario 5 (complex PKF) missions.
  2. Regional Capability
    
    All Regions should try to develop a standby brigade in this period, and those with existing brigades should increase their rapid deployment capability.
Mission HQ Level Management Capability
Although the Director PSD should exercise overall responsibility for the establishment of the ASF, it is recommended that a skeleton mission headquarters be developed in Addis Ababa .

Mission Components
The Meeting recommends the following:
1. Military Observers
  The AU should centrally manage a standby roster of individual military observers, consisting of at least 300-500 officers at 14 days notice.
2. Formed Units
  Where capable, by 30 June 2005 , the AU and Regions should establish standby brigade that would consist of:
  1. A small full time Planning Element (PLANELM).
  2. Selected PLANELM staff officers could undertake on-the-job experience with the Copenhagen-based SHIRBRIG. The UN should be approached to use the Trust Fund for Conflict Prevention and Peacekeeping in Africa to fund this.
  3. Identified brigade units would be on standby in Member States, but must be subject to verification visits by the PLANELM staff to identify standards and shortfalls.
  4. The pool of units that are identified as part of the system should exceed that required for an operation. This will allow for Member State decisions not to deploy, as well as allow for rotations.
  5. Regional MLD's should hold standard stocks to cover typical shortages for sustainment and key items of equipment. The stocking policy should cover a brigade level deployment for 180 days.
  6. The AU should jointly agree on locations of logistics infrastructure (MLD's) and training facilities with Regions, in order to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.
3. Police
  
  The Meeting recommends that by 30 June 2005 , the AU should establish and centrally manage a standby roster of at least 240 police officers in order to be able to establish the police component of complex PKF missions. These individuals should be trained nationally to UN standards, or at regional and other centres of excellence, and be held in Member States at 14 days notice. By 30 June 2005 the AU should also establish and centrally manage a standby system that would contain at least two company level formed police units on 90 days notice, in order to be able to support complex PKF missions.
4. Civilian Components
  
  The Meeting recommends that the AU should establish and centrally manage a roster of mission administration, plus a roster of civilian experts to fill the human rights, humanitarian, governance, DDR and reconstruction components of a complex PKF mission. Qualifications should be similar to that required by the UN, while the AU roster should be linked to UN rosters.
Doctrine
The Meeting endorses the recommendation of the Second ACDS Meeting that peacekeeping doctrine used by the ASF should be consistent with doctrine produced and used by the UN, and complemented by African specificity.

Training
The Meeting endorses the recommendation of the ACDS that Africa should use UN training standards and material, modified as necessary. This training shall include International Humanitarian Law. The UN has made significant effort in recent months in this direction, particularly as part of its Standardised Generic Training Modules Project.
The AU and regional training framework should provide for some amount of co-ordination of AU, Regional and national training, as well as for the establishment and utilisation of existent centres of excellence for peacekeeping training.

Equipment Interoperability
The Meeting noted that clear identification of key areas where interoperability is essential. It is therefore recommended that the issue of standardisation policy and the development of suitable technical solutions, where necessary, should be centrally managed at the AU.

Enhancing Co-operation with the UN
1. HQ Capacity
  
  In establishing high readiness and standby brigade groups, the AU and Regions should establish an MOU with the UN to reinforce strategic HQ capacity, using an on call UN Planning, Liaison, and Advisory Team. Additionally the UN should consider on request of the AU reinforcing the UNLO office in Addis with a peacekeeping specialist.
2. Standby Information
  
  Where Member States approve, the AU should ensure African standby information is included in UN standby databases.
3. Doctrine and Training Material
  
  The AU should consult closely with the UN to gain access to the latest UN peace operations doctrine and training material and modify this as necessary to suit African conditions. The UN should also be invited to participate in the planning and conduct of all forms of peacekeeping training and exercises.
4. On the Job Experience
  
  The AU and the Regions should co-operate closely with the UN to gain experience at UN HQ, and with the Planning Element of SHIRBRIG. The UN should be approached to fund this through the appropriate Trust Fund.
5. Logistics Co-operation
  
  Given the AU goal of handing over an operation to the UN as soon as possible, the AU should approach the UN with a view to co-operation in logistics support.
6. UN Consultations with TCC's
  
  The Meeting recommends that ASF operational brigades should be organised in accordance with UN standards along the lines of SHIRBRIG.
7. AU Military Advisory Staff
  
  Serious consideration needs to be given to the inclusion of a military liaison and advisory officer of appropriate rank on the staff of the AU Permanent Mission to UN HQ in New York .
Command and Control Functions
The Meeting noted that an agreed AU command and Control policy needed to be developed based on the existing UN command and control guidance, and including the following relationships and functions:
1. Overall political control and overall direction, as well as the activities of the mission and consultations with other Organisations and agencies in the field, should normally be exercised and coordinated by an AU Special Representative (ASR) designated by the Chairperson. All heads of major components should report to him.
2. Command and control of the military components of an AU mission should be vested variously in an FC or CMO, who should be appointed by the Chairperson.
3. Military personnel of AU peace missions should be under the authority of the Chairperson of the AU, through the FC/CMO, and should be directly answerable to FC/CMO for the conduct and performance of their duties.
Enhancing Co-operation with Regions
The Meeting recommends that in order to enhance AU/Regional co-operation, consultative meetings between the PSC and regional security organs should be formalised.

Enhancing Co-operation with the International Community
The Meeting recommends that:
1. The AU should negotiate with its Partners to share in the planning, objectives and conduct of external support initiatives in accordance with requirements of the AU.
2. The AU should encourage its Partners and donors to meet UN equipment standards in their assistance and initiatives.
3. The AU should negotiate with the Partners and donors to have equipment donations through multilateral arrangements towards stocking, maintaining and managing AU/Regional MLD's.
Reimbursement, Logistics and Funding
a) Reimbursement
Past experience has indicated that the reimbursement rates used by the UN may be too high for adoption by the AU. The AU should make appropriate changes to the UN scales of reimbursement, the consumption rates, to fit the African environment. The Meeting recommends that the AU establish a working group, comprising at least of one nominated member from each Region, to provide options for ASF reimbursement, guided by but not limited to the following considerations:
1. Reimbursement follows the format of the UN. Reimbursement for personnel and equipment are to be considered separately, and take into account the capacity of the AU
2. The AU should determine the standard scales of reimbursement for troops and equipment.
3. A mission may be initiated at Regional level, later receives AU mandate and thereafter UN mandate and thus would move through three levels of reimbursement process.
4. Preferably AU mandated missions do not involve different scales for personnel and equipment within one mission.
5. Bi-lateral funding and or resource allocations towards a Regional or AU mission is accommodated, not reimbursed but accounted for as per bi-lateral arrangement.
b) AU Logistical Infrastructure for PSO
Any AU logistics support strategy should aim to enable rapid and effective deployment and mission sustainability. To this end, it is suggested that the AMLD should be incorporated into a system of regional MLD's. During Phase 1 Member States should focus on national readiness (own reserves and stocks) while an appropriate and cost-effective concept for Phase 2 is investigated. In general, when involved in peace support operations, force projection and sustainment should be executed by outsourcing strategic lift capabilities from the international environment.
c) Funding
Excepting the regular budgetary appropriations that could be guaranteed, the AU has no guaranteed control over the other sources. The PSC should therefore be aware of the responsibility of making available such financial resources as are requisite for ASF mission accomplishment. In this regard it is recalled that the Second Meeting of the ACDS recommended increasing contributions of Member States to the Regular Budget; increasing the percentage of the budget dedicated to the Peace Fund from six (6) to ten (10) percent. To ensure availability of funds for the implementation of the Protocol, the Meeting suggests that consideration be given to additional means being considered by some Regions, such as the levying of a peace tax. Additionally, assessed supplementary quotas could be made to meet the cost of specific PKO's.

Military staff committee
The Military Staff Committee should be established as a standing advisory military committee to the PSC. It should have no executive powers of its own except as and when assigned by the PSC.
The MSC shall be composed of Senior Military Officers of the members of the PSC. Members will serve the terms of their elected Member States serving on the PSC.
The following military advisory functions are proposed for the MSC:
1. to advise and assist the PSC in all questions relating to military and security requirements for the promotion and maintenance of peace and security in Africa;
2. to keep the Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS) of Member States serving on the PSC and MSC well informed of all decisions of the PSC;
3. to ensure that policies and actions in the fields of conflict prevention, management and resolution are consistent with regional mechanisms;
4. to enhance co-operation in the fields of early warning, conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and post-conflict peace building through consultations with the PSD (PSOD);
5. prior to submission of plans to the Chairperson, co-ordinate with the PSOD;
6. subject to the decision and authorization of the PSC, participate in or undertake visits to ASF missions, and other peacemaking and peace building functions for the resolution of conflicts.
The modalities of the Chairmanship of the MSC should be guided by those of the PSC. Thus, the Member State holding the chair of the PSC should also provide the chair of the MSC.
The MSC should derive the agenda of its meetings from two sources:
1. members of the MSC should be given notification of all PSC meetings at the same time that members of the PSC are being notified, in order to facilitate their own deliberations, consultations, and provision of advice, prior to meetings of the PSC;
2. as and when it is necessary to convene on its own accord, the MSC should develop its own agenda.
Follow-up
By August 2003, the Chiefs of Defence Staff in the five regions should meet on a regional basis to set in motion regional processes.
Workgroups should be established in the regions to identify standby forces; rapid reaction elements; centres of excellence for peace support operations training; list of military and civilian observers; regional logistics support required; location of early warning (situation rooms for region); and communication/IT capabilities.
At the same time, Member States/Regions should nominate members to the AU to determine feasibility and/or options regarding the following:
1. SOP's and doctrine for PSO's (drafts to be finalized)
2. Communications and IT
3. Early Warning (situation room) and its links to Regional Early Warning (situation room)
4. Reimbursement policy and SOP's
5. Financial management systems
6. Logistic support during AU missions
7. Command and control for AU missions
Regional work groups must conclude their work by December 2003, including draft doctrine SOP's, list of terminologies etc.
Preferably by January/February 2004, the 4 th meeting of the ACDS should be convened.