Münster: LIT

The relationship between development policy and security policy has undergone rapid changes over a period of only a few years. In Germany, as well as other donor countries, there was in the past a clearly recogniz-able distance between development actors and military actors and between their respective tasks. This distance is shrinking. The new debate is impor-tant for many developing countries and regions (e.g. Afghanistan), but is especially relevant to sub-Saharan Africa. Peace and security are at the top of the agenda for Africa. While they have been recognized in the past as among the most urgent challenges facing the continent, they have not previously gained the marked profile they are now assuming as a political priority for practical policy approaches and efforts both in and outside Africa. The basic parameters involved have shifted in the direction of greater visibility and a heightened political will to act. The African Union (AU), created in 2002, is most important for this new situation. However, the new peace and security architecture faces a number of challenges. Although the AU's ownership approach to peace and security is fundamentally correct, it contrasts sharply with African funding and implementation capacities. Ultimately, the AU will prove to be effective only if the relevant donors are prepared to support, and above all to fund, its policies. Interfaces between development policy and security policy are not a phe-nomenon confined to Germany. The UN, for example, is increasingly interested in conducting comprehensive peace missions in Africa. Inte-grated missions with civil and military components were first undertaken in Sierra Leone. Another important example is Britain, which establishe