The African Union: From a Security Culture to an Emergent Strategic Culture?(Essay‪)‬

ABSTRACT Member states of the African Union took a deliberate stance to eradicate war from the African continent. In order to operationalise this declaratory posture, the African Union institutionalised much of its commitment in the Peace and Security Council with the African Standby Force providing an envisaged military capability to support the declared stance of non-indifference to armed threats to member states. The progress within the African Union to deal with armed conflicts across the African continent draws attention to the concepts of security and strategic culture and the question: Can the African Union forge a common strategic culture amongst member states? This article explores this question and offers some insight into the difficulties of establishing a common strategic culture for the use of a strategic capability like the African Standby Force. The concluding arguments suggest that some majority conception is possible, but that an enduring common strategic culture for the African Union is premature.