“Africa does need assistance in the realm of conflict management and peace operations, and the ACRI is no doubt motivated by a well intentioned desire to do something about this. But Africans need to define the type of assistance they require very clearly, and to ensure that such assistance makes a real contribution to the maintenance or restoration of peace, rather than to chaos. This would demand a clearer definition of the problem than simply a ‘need to enhance African peacekeeping capacity’.The ACRI can, perhaps, lead to improved modalities for conducting peace operations on the African continent. However, if it is to move beyond Green Berets and Motorola radios,the concept will have to be refined through intense debate and wide consultation, not only with
potential partners in the envisaged ‘African peacekeeping support group’, but with Africans themselves.”
