Conflicts in Africa result in loss of life, weakened social structures and fragile economies. This provides an impetus for stronger African initiatives in conflict management through participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, among others, and increased African-led peace support operations (PSOs). This paper aims to identify African perspectives specific to the police component and its role in the African Peace and Security Architecture. Challenges for police command at strategic, operational and tactical levels are then reviewed. Cross-cutting issues that affect command and the effectiveness of PSOs are examined. The conclusion notes questions and issues that may be considered to better understand and devise solutions to police command challenges in African-led PSOs.

About the authors:

Dr Marina Caparini is a senior researcher who conducts applied research and policy analysis on issues related to policing and security sector reform. She is currently leading a Training for Peace (TfP) research team in Darfur, conducting research on police training. Dr Caparini is well published in this area, and was awarded her PhD in war studies from King’s College London.

Dr Ann Livingstone is a consultant focusing on applied research and analysis on the rule of law and capacity building in peacekeeping. She is currently working on transitional policing issues in post-conflict environments. Her work also focuses on impact assessment and evaluation of peace operations. She holds a PhD in international relations from Keele University in the United Kingdom.

The Institute for Security Studies is grateful for support from the following members of the ISS Partnership Forum: the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA.