Joint military efforts
Security: A common defence force for East Africa is a logical regional answer to the global question of terrorism.
By Kristian Sloth Petersen10. April 2005
The East African Community has embarked on a journey of integration that is intended, among other areas, to strengthen co-operation on foreign affairs, security and defence.
This decision makes sense in a world where the pattern of international relations is in reality described more precisely by the concept regionalization than by globalization. Since the end of the Cold War, all continents have been characterized by efforts to form regional economical and political entities that can serve the dual purpose of strengthening the regions internally, and adding to their influence externally by speaking with one voice. In fact, this trend is becoming the predominant geo-political response to globalization. As the field becomes global, the players become regions.
An East African NATO
Attempts to start a process of integration that could eventually lead to the establishment of an economical and political union between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, is not a new thing. This time around the environment might, however, turn out to be as conducive as ever.
In relation to security, an objective that would seem logical, and maybe possible, would be the relatively quick establishment of a security community, grounded in a NATO-like treaty where each member-state is obliged to co-defend the sovereignty of the other member-states. This could be the basis for extensive corporation on security issues of both internal and external character.
Although the three countries struggle with different internal security problems, they all share to a large extent the bulk of the East African security agenda. From the global level comes the issue of terrorism. By talking with one voice the community could create the space to develop home-grown answers to the challenge, instead of dancing solely to the often Human-Rights-abusing tone of the American flute.
Compared to what is widely perceived as anti-Islamic rhetoric and politics by the American leadership, home-grown initiatives would potentially take much better into account, for instance, the religious compositions of the populations with a predominant mix of Islamic and Christian communities that have traditionally lived in peaceful co-existence.
At the regional level, the East African Community could make it an ambition to become a positive contributor to peace in a very conflict-prone region (Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo). Kenya is already playing an important role in the Sudan and Somalia peace-negotiations. This role could be 'East Africanized' and extended to other conflicts in the neighbourhood. Similarly, ending the war in Northern Uganda might benefit from becoming not only a Ugandan but an East African effort as well. Another area where co-operation may benefit positively to security in and between the countries could be weapons-control. And if – in the long run – the co-operation reaches the level of developing a common defence, there could be economic benefits from large-scale operations.
Crucial if the described scenario is preferred, is off cause, the degree to which the ‘one-for-all, all-for-one’-commitment that would be an absolute precondition for the whole project, is or can be developed among the peoples of East Africa .
Kristian Sloth Petersen is an advocacy advisor in MS Kenya
