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Conflicts in Africa often reflect a breakdown of peace agreements that have been methodically dismantled by politicians intent on evading checks on power while oversight is weak. Vigilance is vital as early progress is not a guarantee of long-term success.
Security encompasses much more than the deployment of armed forces. Effective judicial and quasi-judicial institutions serve as an important means of defusing societal conflicts and provide a check on a state's use of coercive force.
Traditional programs to reform the Police Nationale Congolaise (PNC) have attempted top-down approaches but incorporated neither communities’ perception of the PNC nor the lived experiences of uniformed police. High-level, self-led reform in the PNC is unlikely, and large-scale donors are reluctant to offer support. Sustainable police reform must come from local actors and focus on improving working and living conditions of uniformed police. Such improvements will assist in changing the corrupt nature of the PNC and create a police that serves the Congolese instead of profiting off of it.
The Catholic Church is at the forefront of organizing protests demanding elections in the DRC, despite government intimidation.
Twenty countries in Africa will hold national elections in 2018. This analysis reviews countries facing unique challenges to holding peaceful elections on the continent.
Cameroon's two-year-old national crisis threatens the country's very foundations, says scholar Christopher Fomunyoh. In this video, Fomunyoh discusses the nature and causes of the grievances that brought this crisis to a head, as well as recommendations for addressing them.
Calls for African countries to withdraw from the ICC overlooked the strong role Africa had in establishing the Rome Statute and the ongoing support the Court retains on the continent.
Mass atrocities, including unlawful killings, rape, torture, and destruction of property, have caused one in three people in South Sudan to flee their homes.
Despite their shortcomings, African peace operations have saved lives, built security sector capacity, and helped mitigate conflict—reducing pressure on international actors to become directly involved.
Despite the serious humanitarian and economic tolls generated by Burundi’s crisis, the reaction of its neighbors has been remarkably subdued.
Africa’s humanitarian crises have continued to worsen in 2017. Twenty million Africans have been displaced from their homes and 44 million are acutely food insecure.
In commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, the Africa Center highlights the African countries with the most open and most restrictive media environments.