This paper investigates inter-organisational dynamics in crisis management on the African continent. It focuses on interaction schemes between the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations, by exploring the history and status quo of cooperation and discussing the prospects for successful joint crisis management efforts in future scenarios. The paper starts with a brief theoretical discussion of inter-organisational characteristics and intra-organisational dynamics, and elaborates an analytical framework for the assessment of inter-organisational cooperation. It then analyses and compares different cooperative frameworks by looking at the following three case studies: the EU’s support to the African Union Mission in Darfur (AMIS), the hybrid AU-UN peacekeeping operation in Darfur (UNAMID), and EU-UN cooperation in Chad and the Central African Republic (EUFOR Tchad/RCA and MINURCAT). The paper concludes with a summary of the shortcomings and lessons learned as identified in these operations. Building upon that, it develops recommendations for enhanced triangular cooperation in crisis management. These suggestions are discussed against the backdrop of current crisis management efforts in Somalia.
