Güvenlik Politikaları Ekseninde Afrika Birliği: Teori ve Pratik

Abstract

Security has been the primary agenda of the African continent which has been plagued by many political, economic and societal disadvantages. Considered as a joint platform to discuss the chronical problems of Africa and the ways out, the African Union is of crucial importance in terms of the continent’s future. This paper scrutinizes how the union evolved in the last 50 years, in responding to the security cases in the region, where the union revises its organizational structure accordingly. To this end, the paper firstly brings up the security approach of the organization as of its institutional norms and structure. Then, based on the factual examples it analyses if the principles and the organizational structure is consistent with the union’s security approach. The study shows that there is a transformation from idealism to rationalism in the union's security approach. Since its deterrence capacity has not been unsatisfying, the Union prefers more circumspect and impact-oriented policies. It is evaluated that circumstantial responses and passive positioning are the most important handicaps of the Union.  

Keywords

• Africa, African Union, Peace, Regionalism, Conflict, Security. 

Güvenlik Politikaları Ekseninde Afrika Birliği: Teori ve Pratik

Öz

Siyasi, ekonomik ve sosyal nitelikli pek çok dezavantajla anılan Afrika kıtasının kuşkusuz öncelikli gündemlerinden biri de güvenlik sorunudur. Bu doğrultuda, Afrika’nın kronik sorunlarının ve çözüm yollarının müzakere edilebileceği ortak bir platform olarak düşünülen Afrika Birliği, kıtanın geleceği açısından önem arz etmektedir. Bu çalışmada, kurumsal yapılanmasını ihtiyaçlar doğrultusunda revize eden örgütün, geride kalan yaklaşık yarım yüzyıllık sürede güvenlik sorunlarına yönelik tutumunda nasıl bir dönüşüm geçirdiği irdelenmektedir. Bu amaçla, örgütün güvenlik yaklaşımı öncelikle kurumsal normlar ve yapısal durum itibarıyla ortaya konmuştur. Ardından Birlik ilkelerinin ve organizasyonel yapısının güvenlik odaklı sorunlarda sergilenen yaklaşım ile ne derece tutarlı olduğu örnek olaylarla analiz edilmiştir. Yapılan incelemede, Birliğin güvenlik yaklaşımında idealizmden rasyonaliteye doğru bir dönüşüm yaşandığı anlaşılmaktadır. Caydırma kapasitesinin henüz tatminkar düzeyde olmadığından daha temkinli ve etki odaklı inisiyatiflerin tercih edildiği anlaşılmaktadır. Konjonktürel davranma ve pasif konumlanma tercihlerinin ise Birliğin en önemli handikaplarından olduğu değerlendirilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Afrika, Afrika Birliği, Barış, Bölgesellik, Çatışma, Güvenlik.

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