This study looks into the major causes of conflicts in Africa and the efforts of the OAU in settling both interstate and intrastate conflicts. It attempts to determine if the Pan-African Defense Force (PADF) proposed by the OAU is capable of performing enforcement and peacekeeping missions because of the different political ideologies and the differences among the armies in Africa. The study reveals that any type of PADF created now is not capable of conducting an enforcement mission because of the different political ideologies and the logistics requirement to sustain the PADF. However, the PADF can conduct limited peacekeeping missions. The study proposes the creation of a Pan-African Defense College (PADC) which will solve some of the major problems.

ADB 058835 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)