Enhancing Peace and Security: The Role of Border Management in Conflict Mitigation in Africa

The arbitrary demarcation of most of Africa’s boundaries created significant fault lines in Africa’s peace and security landscape. Even though the intangibility of Africa’s borders encapsulated in the principle of uti possidetis juris adopted by Africa’s post-independence leaders was a conflict prevention measure to mitigate the potential risks associated with efforts to re-demarcate boundaries, border disputes continue to pose risks to the peace and security of the continent.

The African Union Border Programme (AUBP) plays a pivotal role in managing border conflicts and preventing their escalation into violence. This crucial initiative, built on three main pillars, provides technical assistance to member states on the delimitation, demarcation, and reaffirmation of their borders. It also supports regional economic communities in enhancing border governance among their member states, and fosters the capacity development of stakeholders in the border management ecosystem to promote multi-level border governance.

The AUBP enjoys the support of member states and regional economic communities, which consider it a crucial tool for managing conflicts. Anchored by the AU Border Governance strategy, the Programme seeks to accompany member states and RECs in their efforts to enhance border governance to promote peace, security, and stability.

Addressing some of the critical contemporary security threats confronting the continent, particularly transnational and cross border crimes as well as the increasing spread of terrorism and violent extremism necessitates cooperation between and among states and leveraging the opportunities inherent within border communities.

As part of efforts to enhance the efforts of the AUBP, the Conflict Management Directorate organized a strategic review workshop in October 2023 with border management experts to take stock of the progress of the implementation of the Programme and re-conceptualize the Programme in terms of structure, strategic orientation, practices, and representation. In line with the continent’s current peace and security realities and to ensure that the Programme is fit for purpose, the meeting decided that the AUBP should be “a tool for conflict management, regional cooperation, and integration to foster improved border governance.”

As the continent commemorates African Border Day today, it is essential to be reminded that the ever-evolving nature of border-related security challenges requires robust and coordinated responses across the continent. A first step to enhancing cooperation and coordination among member states is ratifying the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation (the Niamey Convention), which currently only has ten state parties. Working from a common framework ensures systematic and standardized approaches and provides predictability for all stakeholders. Member states that have yet to ratify the Niamey Convention are encouraged to do so. Cooperating on our borders and effective border management are critical security-enhancing measures for all member states.