Intergovernmental Organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa: Partners for Security and Capacity Building

Sub-Saharan Africa is emerging as a region of strategic importance. Intergovernmental Organizations IGOs in Africa should be considered accelerators for implementing US policy objectives aimed at helping Africans solve African problems. Resolving issues concerning good governance and substandard economic conditions will promote stability and mitigate the potential of failing or failed states that provide havens for extremist organizations. Partnering with IGOs in Sub-Saharan Africa will help assure acceptance of the US military presence on the continent and facilitate a more efficient implementation of the capacities building policy. Across Africa, regional and sub-regional organizations play an important role in conflict resolution. Partnering with these organizations will make it possible for the US and coalitions to respond more quickly at the outset of a crisis and more effectively in post-conflict peace building. This paper examines the value of seeing IGOs as key organizations that provide structures, fluid channels of communication, and capabilities to facilitate capacity building and maintaining security in Sub-Saharan Africa and concludes that given the consonance of US and IGO objectives and complementary organization structures for implementing objectives-oriented activities, the US should engage in robust partnerships with the IGOs for effective implementation of Phase Zero activities.