This policy brief argues for institutional reform by reconfiguring the deployment framework of APSA and the ASF to align institutional design with the changing conflict realities in Africa. It evaluates the structural and operational constraints that prevented timely preventive engagement in Cabo Delgado and proposes governance-sensitive, multi-level policy recommendations directed at the Mozambican government and the AU. The brief contributes to the broader debate on how Africa’s security architecture can evolve from primarily reactive, security-centric responses toward proactive, governance-integrated prevention frameworks capable of addressing conflicts that develop gradually.