Why AU thinks use of more force could be solution to insurgencies

Rwandan soldiers

Rwandan soldiers in the port city of Mocimboa da Praia, northern Mozambique after a joint force drove out Islamists in the area. PHOTO | AFP

The African Union (AU) wants member states to adopt stronger peace enforcement, rather than the traditional peacekeeping, missions across the continent as a better tool to fight insurgencies.

The proposal from the AU’s Commission for Political Affairs, Peace and Security admits peacekeeping, the arrangement where the UN authorises troops to guard peace on the defensive while limited on use of force, can no longer be useful for Africa’s new security problems.