View on Africa: African hotspots and women in security

What should the African Union prioritise at its 25th Summit this week?

Date: 2015-06-10

Time: 11:00 to 12:00

Venue: Situation Room , Block C , ISS Pretoria (map) and online: VoiceBoxer

The issue

As leaders gather in Johannesburg this week for the 25th African Union (AU) Summit, under the theme of women’s empowerment and development, prospects for Africa’s future will once again be in the spotlight.

This week’s View on Africa looked at the key crisis hotspots in Africa that are, or should be, on the AU’s agenda, as well as the extent of gender mainstreaming in the security sector in Africa.

ISS researchers discussed the experience of the Kenyan Defence Force with regard to women in the security sector. Updates were also be provided on developments in Burundi and other situations.

Key points

The third-term debate is heating up and should be one of the key issues discussed at the AU Summit. If left unchecked, the third-term trend could become a full-blown phenomenon.
The AU and regional organisations need to take urgent steps to prevent leaders from extending their leadership terms by for example, putting in place election observers, making better use of the expertise in the AU Panel of the Wise and including civil society in the process.
African states must honour key instruments like the African Charter, while respecting sovereignty and their own democratic principles.
In Burundi, the issue of a third mandate has had a dramatic influence on the integrity of the electoral process as a whole. Although the AU’s stance on a third term is clearly set out in the Arusha Agreement, the East African Community is avoiding the issue, calling instead for a postponement of the elections’ and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region is exploring the possibility of a transition period with a power-sharing government.
Analysts say that regardless of the numbers, it is also important to be able to accurately measure the impact of gender transformation in the security sector, but this is extremely difficult due to the lack of transparency and limited access given to researchers.
Only 8% of the Kenyan Defence Forces are made up of women, and very few women are in high-ranking positions.
Although several African countries are making good progress in transforming the military and including women, the focus should shift from merely including more women in the security sector to making the structures more amenable to women. While quotas play a role, political will is needed at the highest level to take issues of gender equality beyond mere representation.

What to watch

Given that seven African countries will be having elections in the next two years; including Burundi and Central African Republic in 2015, and Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in 2016, the question of third terms becomes even more relevant.
The current situation in Burundi remains uncertain. With elections scheduled for 15 July, it remains to be seen whether Nkurunziza will pull out or continue his quest for a third term.
Key questions remain for women in the security sector, including whether there is a direct link between having women in decision-making positions and gender equality. Does having women peacekeepers help in the more effective demobilisation of women combatants in places like the eastern DRC? And would sexual violence by peacekeepers become a thing of the past if there were more women in these missions?

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