Ulf Engel, University of Leipzig, Germany and Joao Gomes Porto, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia Joao Gomes Porto, Antonia Witt, Martin Welz, Rodrigo Tavares, Tania Felicio, Benedikte Franke, Emma Birikorang, Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Andreas Mehler, Lauren Hutton, Markus Koerner, Mulugeta Gebrehiwot, Kwesi Aning.

• Contents: Introduction, João Gomes Porto; Part 1 Continental Embeddedness: The African Union and contested political order(s), Antonia Witt; From non-interference towards non-indifference: an ongoing paradigm shift within the African Union?, Martin Welz; The responsibility to protect by African organizations: a new trend in the cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, Rodrigo Tavares and Tânia Felício. Part 2 Transnational Linkages: Africa’s regional economic communities and the multi-level logic of security cooperation on the continent, Benedikte Franke; Lessons learned and best practice from a troubled region: ECOWAS and the development of the ECOWAS standby force, Emma Birikorang; The weight of history: prospects and challenges for the Southern African Development Community, Anthoni van Nieuwkerk; COMWARN: COMESA’s distinctive contribution to the continental early warning system, João Gomes Porto. Part 3 Strategic Relevance: Positive, negative, or ambiguous? Peace-keeping in the local security fabric, Andreas Mehler; Regional security and intelligence cooperation in Africa: the potential contribution of the Committee on Intelligence and Security Services in Africa, Lauren Hutton; Capacity building for the African peace and security architecture: dos and don’ts in program design, Markus Koerner and Mulugeta Gebrehiwot; Challenges and opportunities for the AU’s peace and security council: a critical reflection from a regime analytical perspective, Kwesi Aning; Bibliography; Index.

A Baker & Taylor Academic Essentials Title in Area/Ethnic Studies, Africa A Baker & Taylor Academic Essentials Title in Area/Ethnic Studies: Black Studies outside the U.S. ’This volume lays bare both the inner workings of, and the dynamic interaction between, the levels that make up the structure - including the internal organs of the AU, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), national states and local actors. The measured conclusions that the contributors come to are often based on a practical experience of working with the institutions concerned. For anyone wanting to understand where the current debate about African peace and security stands, look no further.’ Paul Nugent, University of Edinburgh, UK '... an important contribution to thinking about the African peace and security landscape and the actors who populate it. Just as a discipline - not quite political science and not quite international relations - has emerged around the study of European Union politics, this book shows there is much to be gained from studying the unique way in which the African Union, the RECs, African States, and external actors work - or do not work - together to achieve a more peaceful African continent. ... this book is a key contribution to the study, not only of the instruments of maintaining peace and security on the African continent, and Africa’s international relations, but most importantly to the illumination of how African continental conflict management modestly works and, in places, succeeds. It will be useful to any scholar of Africa, as well as those conducting comparative research on peace and security architectures across a number of regions. It will be useful to university students of African continental politics and established scholars alike.' African Journal on Conflict Resolution