“The new African peace and security architecture: Evolution, opportunities and challenges” Itziar Ruiz-Gimenez Arrieta African Studies Group – Autonomous University of Madrid Paper for presentation at the panel ‘Regional Powers and Security Complexes in Africa and Asia’ IPSA‑ECPR Joint Conference, São Paulo, 16‑19 February 2011 First draft. Please do not cite without permission. Abstract: A spectacular increase in actions and policies focussing on “peacebuilding” has taken place, occupying a prominent place in the international political agenda of the post-cold war period. This surge has opened an extensive academic debate on the concepts of peacebuilding and statebuilding, as well as the actions of the so-called “liberal peace complex” and United Nations peace missions. At the same time numerous African initiatives have emerged, including a new peace and security architecture (headed mainly by the African Union), which have not been closely analysed. Therefore, this paper proposes to examine critically the main strengths and weaknesses of the new African peace agenda, which is informed by ideas such as “African solutions to African problems”, responsibility to protect and the politics of non-indifference. Key words: armed conflicts in Africa, peacebuilding, architecture of peace and security, African Union. 1.- Introduction Over the past two decades a revolution has taken place in the world of peacebuilding; a broad spectrum of international actors (states and inter-governmental organisations), as well as regional and national actors, devote enormous efforts, human resources and materials to the resolution of internal conflicts. In the process they have formed what M. Duffield (2003) calls the “liberal peace complex”. This revolution has generated, particularly in the past few years, a wide-ranging academic and political debate on humanitarian interventions, peacebuilding, statebuilding, human security, and responsibility to protect (henceforth R2P). Much has also been written about the successes and failures of the liberal peace complex and, especially, peace missions led by the UN and regional organisations. Africa has been one of the principal stages “where new instruments have been tried out, refining them for subsequent export” (Adam Branc, 2008). The continent has not, however, been a mere