New Research Division Publication: RP 102
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- Research Paper 102: "Resetting " AU-NATO relations: from ad hoc military-technical cooperation to strategic partnership , by Mehari Taddele Maru.
On 8 May 2014 an historic milestone in NATO relations with the African Union (AU) was met with the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) approved by the North Atlantic Council and AU Commission. Nonetheless, global dynamics, in addition to lingering reservations about NATO’s 2011 intervention in Libya, the historical baggage of colonialism, public perception and misgivings about NATO’s motives, as well as the increasing list of AU partners, including non-traditional ones such as China and India, make the AU-NATO relationship even more complex. While the MoU is an important development in placing a relationship which began in 2005 on firmer ground, this latest Research Paper by a respected African analyst and former NDC Research Fellow explains why and what more must be done.