Chapter 2

Opening Remarks

I am honoured to have been invited to make some remarks at the opening of this important event and thank you for the opportunity to share some views.

It is appropriate that France and South Africa discuss Africa. After all, the two countries share a long history of involvement on the continent and should never forget that France’s engagement in South Africa resulted, in the 17th century, from security considerations when the Huguenots had to find refuge from religious intolerance.

At the time, what is known today as South Africa was called the Cape of Good Hope. Today, the country’s ‘Rainbow Nation’ has managed to tackle its own security concerns, hopefully with imagination and much hope for the future, a nation committed to the security of the region and the entire continent.

The timing of this symposium is excellent. It is indeed time to take stock of where Africa is after the turbulent, but liberating events of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

However, it is necessary to start off by asking: Who is Africa after the Cold War? It is therefore heartening to see that these deliberations start with a conceptual approach to the security problems of Africa. For too long, the problems of the patient were analysed without putting both the problems and the patient into the full context of history, anthropology, economics, social dynamics, psychology and philosophy, all elements that form part of a particular identity. For too long, Africa has been treated as the ‘patient’ and the rest of the world as the ‘doctor’. It is an empirical fact that the contexts of both the doctor and the patient have a bearing on the treatment of any ailment.

Hence, unpacking the contexts from which South Africa and France approach Africa can only be a very useful exercise. If you will allow me the liberty of prophecy, I predict that the conclusions will recognise that the striving for equality and fraternity is embedded in the psyches of both countries. This alone is a solid foundation from which to depart on this journey.

The notion of human security, governance and development is closely connected with the first topic. These elements, it can be argued, are merely the visible manifestations of any nation’s psyche. It would thus be prudent to analyse the link between human security, governance and development, on the one hand, and nationbuilding, on the other. It is well-known that states with no inherent sense of identity find it most difficult to entrench the values of good governance.

Our European brothers and sisters may be reminded that European nations had the ‘luxury’ of the Middle Ages to forge their national identities. Most often it was accompanied by what would today be regarded as something very close to genocide. The phenomenon of civil war after liberation is also not unfamiliar to the West. France and the United States are but two examples. Yet, in Africa, we have had to engage in building nations across artificially determined borders, in the absence of common values, amidst a myriad of roleplayers, and in the glare of international media exposure like that of CNN, among others.

The focus on regional and international security arrangements should lead to a lively debate. This seminar will hopefully bring participants closer to an understanding of the complexity of the security arrangements in this part of the world. Let us not forget that Europe has developed its collective security system after it had built its nations into coherent wholes. In Africa, this has to be achieved while still being busy with nationbuilding and statebuilding. at the same time, it is expected, and strongly desired, that this will occur non-violently, which, I may add, has rarely happened anywhere else.

The discussion of approaches to conflict prevention and resolution appears to focus on specific areas of co-operation and on particular initiatives. In general, the South African government would prefer that initiatives are not undertaken in a piecemeal fashion and that they recognise all the aspects mentioned earlier. When talking about Africa’s responsibilities, cognisance should be taken of the continent’s capacity. The South African position on capacity-building is that it should be real, and not virtual. The Guidelines for capacity-building for peacekeeping dictate that Africa’s capabilities should be enhanced in the following manner:

It should be an African-driven process with non-African co-operation/assistance where appropriate and should be tailored to African needs and programmes.



All training should be conducted according to UN standards, but also complemented by African needs and circumstances.



African capacity-building should include the enhancement of African logistic and training capabilities and should become progressively less dependent on foreign assistance in this regard.



The teaching of more than one of the OAU official languages should be enhanced to improve communication among members of peace missions.

These guidelines should also apply to initiatives that aim to build capacity in other areas within the conflict prevention and management spectrum.

Various initiatives have seen the light recently, which may stand a better chance of success because they are African in origin, but are also informed by international experience. Among these, the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Co-operation in Africa (the CSSDCA) should be highlighted. This process, initiated by President Obasanjo of Nigeria, provides an holistic approach to conflict prevention and development. This initiative must be considered seriously. South Africa is totally committed to the process, because it will strengthen not only political co-ordination and co-operation in this field, but also draw in the wisdom to be found in civil society.

I trust that these deliberations will leave you with a greater understanding of Africa’s challenges. But, I hope that you do not keep your newly found insights to yourselves. Ultimately, the plight of the poor and the destitute, the anguish of refugees and child soldiers and the bewilderment of the illiterate and ignorant, should haunt us day and night until we find ways in which to give them hope, equality and a new belief in the brotherhood of Man.

Only then will we be truthful to our vision of the African Renaissance.

* Deputy Director-General, Department of Defence, South Africa