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Despite numerous peace agreements, Africa’s Great Lakes region has been in a persistent state of conflict for the past two decades. The contributions and shortcomings of some of the most significant previous peace initiatives, however, offer vital lessons as to how to mitigate the local level tensions, national political dynamics, and competing regional interests that have led to recurring outbreaks of violence.
Low-level disputes in Africa can spiral into violence and conflict due to the lack of effective judicial systems that can provide a credible and timely process for resolving differences. Alternative dispute resolution techniques can strengthen dispute settlement systems and bridge the gap between formal legal systems and traditional modes of African justice. They may have particular value in stabilization and statebuilding efforts when judicial institutions are weak and social tensions are high.
Africa Center research offers strategic analysis of Africa’s security challenges and practical, evidence-based insights into paths forward.
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Securing Legitimate Stability in the DRC: External Assumptions and Local Perspectives By Jaïr van der Lijn, Tim Glawion, and Nikki de Zwaan, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, September 30, 2019 Surveys and interviews conducted in South Kivu examine the roles of the Armed Forces of the DRC... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan By United Nations Commission on Human Rights, March 6, 2017 Despite having committed to a peace agreement, South Sudan’s warring actors have shown no sign of following through with any of the requirements therein. In fact, the... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) A Decade of Police Reform in Liberia: Perceptions, Challenges and Ways Ahead By Franzisca Zanker, Centre for Security Governance, September 30, 2015 Police reform has been ongoing in Liberia since 2003. Yet the robust plans regularly receive only half the necessary funding. While security agencies, civil society... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Global Illicit Flows and Local Conflict Dynamics: The Case for Pre-Emptive Analysis and Experimental Policy Options By Mark Shaw and Tuesday Reitano, Crime-Conflict Nexus Series No. 2, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, May 31, 2017 The linkages between transnational illicit economies and local conflicts are... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Responding to the Rise in Violent Extremism in the Sahel By Pauline Le Roux Violent activity involving militant Islamist groups in the Sahel—primarily the Macina Liberation Front, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and Ansaroul Islam—has doubled every year since 2015. Employing asymmetric tactics and close... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Assessing Attitudes of the Next Generation of African Security Sector Professionals By Kwesi Aning and Joseph Siegle, May 1, 2019 Africa’s armed forces are in transition from an independence-era model to one more suited to today’s conflicts and threats. They are increasingly called upon to engage in... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) The Taking of South Sudan: The Tycoons, Brokers, and Multinational Corporations Complicit in Hijacking the World’s Newest State By The Sentry, September 30, 2019 Vast corruption networks corruption operate in South Sudan, from Chinese-led oil conglomerates and American arms dealers to profiteering British businessmen and high-level government... Continue Reading
A revolution in unmanned systems is reshaping the dynamics of Africa’s armed conflicts. Professional militaries must balance the tactical advantages of drones with an understanding of their limitations and risks.
A sharp restriction in off-continental irregular migration combined with escalating push factors will continue to shape governance and security priorities in Africa and underscore the need for more regional innovation to accommodate intracontinental population movements.