DR Congo: 24 Killed since Election Results Announced
By Human Rights Watch, December 2011.
Congolese security forces, particularly the presidential guard, have killed and detained dozens of civilians prior to recent presidential elections and during subsequent protests against the results. The deployment of the presidential guard, however, appeared to violate Congolese law. The election has undercut the legitimacy of the government and the stability this would bring the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
View the Article: [English][French]Election-Related Disputes and Political Violence: Strengthening the Role of the African Union in Preventing, Managing, and Resolving Conflict
By African Union Panel of the Wise and International Peace Institute, 2010.
Elections are competitive processes that if not constructively managed can potentially foment destabilizing disputes. Africa should make deliberate efforts to progressively and creatively move toward electoral systems that broaden representation, recognize diversity, and respect majority rule while at the same time protecting minority rights. When conflicts do emerge external actors such as the African Union have a range of dispute resolution and confidence-building mechanisms that can defuse the escalation of violence.
Download the Article: [PDF]Preventing and Managing Violent Election-Related Conflicts in Africa: Exploring Good Practices
By Khabele Matlosa, Victor Shale and Dimpho Motsamai. Electoral Institute for Sustainability of Democracy in Africa, 2010.
Violence during elections tends to be an outgrowth of elite struggles for control of state power and resources and is much more likely when rules and institutions to manage political competition are weak or manipulable. Political party liaison mechanisms and more autonomous electoral commissions can mitigate triggers of violence, but genuine prevention requires that the African Union and Regional Economic Communities pressure political elites to support and observe legitimate electoral processes. [PDF]
Colloquium on African Elections: Best Practices and Cross-Sectoral Collaboration
Colloquium on African Elections: Best Practices and Cross-Sectoral Collaboration
The National Democratic Institute, 2010.
Elections are complex multi-stage cycles that require close coordination among many partners. The security services play a vital role in such collaborative efforts by performing pre-election threat assessments and response plans, actively participating in electoral coordinating bodies, and providing a safe and secure environment that supports the process in an impartial manner. [PDF]Focus on Elections and Security
By ACE Encyclopaedia.Equitable and dependable security is essential to maintain an electorate’s confidence and commitment to democratic contests. This sometimes heightens tensions, however. Advanced planning, training, and extensive coordination are just as critical to free, fair, and safe elections as appropriate deployments of security personnel. [LINK]
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