A DECADE OF AFRICAN UNION AND EUROPEAN UNION TRANS-REGIONAL SECURITY RELATIONS

Abstract

The first decade of the new millennium saw the European Union deploy ninesecurity missions to the African continent, quoting the European Security andDefence Policy. Unlike the numerous United Nations security missions thatEuropean states had previously contributed to, these were part of a grand strategydesigned to link the African Union and the European Union in a process of transregionalismdefined as a unique organisational infrastructure (joint secretariat forresearch, policy planning, preparation and coordination of meetings andimplementation of decisions). The rationale being that security and its associatedpeace and stability are the basis for sustainable development in other areas. Thisarticle follows the development of the trans-regionalism detailing the securitymissions.