East African crisis response shaping Ethiopian peace force for better participation in future peace operations

Abstract

Ethiopia, being one of the force-contributing countries to the East African Standby Brigade (EASBRIG) and given its, resources, strategic location, and its military's long history, will have a significant role to play in creating a stable environment in the sub-region. This thesis analyzes the Organization of African Union/African Union (OAU/AU) efforts after the Cold War to restore security and ensure stability in the region and outlines the process of creating African Standby Forces (ASF) as sub-regional arrangements to bring stability and peace by preventing crises or responding to crises whenever they arise in the region. To fulfill such missions East African states have agreed to form the EASBRIG with each state contributing forces. This thesis also analyzes Ethiopia's past and current participation in peace operations (from 1951 in Korea to ongoing missions in Liberia and Burundi) and argues that though Ethiopia's participation in peace operations is commendable, many things could yet be improved and corrective measures need to be taken to better prepare for mission execution in regional and sub-regional crisis response efforts. There is work yet to be done on peacekeeping and peace enforcement in particular. How to better organize Ethiopia's Peace Force and increase their efficiency and effectiveness for future peace operations is a main goal of this thesis.