Africa
Produced by like minded partner organizations, these evidence based policy articles and reports focus on the geographical region of Africa
This table contains the entire repository of data and resources that the Better Evidence Project has collected and curated for Africa. To find resources you are interested in, simply use the search box on the top right of the table and search based on any parameters that you are interested in: Country name, Keywords, Type of Resource, Authors, etc. The table will automatically populate as you search. You can expand the number of entries you’d like to see by toggling the show entries box (top left of the table) and selecting the number you’d like to see.
To help narrow your search by keywords, please refer to this post that features a running list of keywords in use in the repository.
Resource Library
Navigate through our resource library, search for the terms you are interested in and the table will populate automatically with matching results.| Title | Authors | Subject Keywords | Abstract | Link | Country Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Niger | Elliot Short | Diplomacy, Ceasefire, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR) | The third Tuareg rebellion (2007-2009) in Niger was ended with a peace agreement mediated by the Government of Libya. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-niger-2/ | Niger |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Republic Of Congo | Elliot Short | Armed Non-State Actors, Negotiations, Fragility | The ceasefire and cessation of hostilities agreements ended the Ninja insurgency in the Pool region, while a comprehensive Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration programme has helped to stabilise the area. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-republic-of-congo/ | Republic of the Congo |
| Resolving The Militarised Territorial Dispute Between Chad And Libya | Elliot Short | Mediation, Rule of Law, Monitoring/Verification: United Nations | Following the International Court of Justice’s judgement of the dispute, the United Nations Aouzou Strip Observer Group monitored the withdrawal of Libyan troops from the area and helped ensure that the handover of the disputed territory to Chad went ahead peacefully. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/resolving-the-militarised-territorial-dispute-between-chad-and-libya/ | Chad, Libya |
| Final Evaluation of Project: Promoting Locally – Driven Transformation and Collaborative Action in Burundi | Sylvestre Bigirimana | Mediation, Project Evaluation | This evaluation report showcases evidence of what works in terms of conflict mitigation considering refugees returns, and how media and broadcasting activities can play a role in building transparency and communication between local communities and national representatives. The evaluation report features useful indicators that could be of value for organizations looking to implement similar projects. | https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5db70e83fc0a966cf4cc42ea/t/5f36e3bcab3dc4397cf750b2/1597432766591/0369.pdf | Burundi |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In Guinea | Elliot Short | Negotiations, Elections, Governance: Transition | Thanks to timely diplomatic action by the African Union, Economic Community of West African States, and the UN, a violent political crisis in Guinea was prevented from escalating into armed conflict in 2009. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-guinea/ | Guinea |
| Preventing A Conflict Relapse In South Africa | Elliot Short | Dialogue, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization | The deployment of monitoring missions by the Commonwealth, EU, Organisation of African Unity, and the UN helped to prevent violence during the 1994 elections and ensured that South Africa did not experience a conflict relapse after the transition from apartheid. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-a-conflict-relapse-in-south-africa/ | South Africa |
| Preventing Political Violence: Towards a Model for Catalytic Action--Lessons Learned from Guinea-Bissau | Conflict Prevention and Early Warning | This monograph lays out new ways the political violence that arises in failing states can be prevented and stability strengthened. This is essentially an interim report of the ‘Reducing Political Violence Action Group (RPVAG)’ that initiated an onsite case study in Guinea-Bissau, known as the ‘International Peace and Prosperity Project’. The aim was to set out a ‘Basic Concept’ for Violence Prevention, to try it out in a specific country, develop ‘Lessons Learned’ from that experience, and then to work towards a ‘New Approach to Violence Prevention’ and if possible a new ‘Model’ for similar work elsewhere. The monograph lays out the goals of the project and how it was implemented in Guinea Bissau. It discusses the basis of early warning indicators that guided the project on how and where to create a violence prevention initiative. The overall plan based around trust building and working with local leaders is presented as are the challenges and changes that were made to the plan during initial implementation in order to respond to changing circumstance The initial lessons learned and alterations to the plan itself are presented as recommendations about how to move the project in Guinea-Bissau forward as well as recommendations for similar conflict prevention projects. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12712 | Guinea-Bissau | |
| Final Evaluation: Community Violence Reduction Pilot Project In Paoua (CAR) | Transition International | Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Violence Prevention, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives | The Community Violence Reduction (CVR) pilot project is targeting 10 hotspot locations in the northwestern part of the Central African Republic (CAR), the sous prefecture of Paoua, where there is a strong presence of Anti-Balaka and ‘self-defence’ groups and community violence is particularly severe. Implemented by IOM, supervised by MINUSCA-DDR, and supported by the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), the project provides support to armed group elements not eligible for the national DDR programme, as well as vulnerable people in the concerned communities. The project’s general objective is to improve security at the local level, through the economic and social reinsertion of violence-prone armed groups’ elements non-eligible for the national DDR programme and community dialogue mechanisms in hotspots areas playing a stronger and positive role in the prevention of violence at the local level. The most important conclusion is that indeed the project has had a stabilising effect on the 10 targeted communities, with increased security, reduced violent incidents and perceived increase in peaceful coexistence. Fewer arms circulate in the communities and a large percentage of the armed people not eligible for DDR have reduced violent and illegal activities and started to engage in productive activities. People also express that due to this improved security they have restarted farming. Further, the roads repaired have a direct impact on mobility and related trade and commerce, which has led to an overall improvement of the economic situation of the community as a whole. | https://www.un.org/peacebuilding/sites/www.un.org.peacebuilding/files/documents/car_june_2017_-_evaluation_of_community_violence_reduction_project.pdf | Central African Republic |
| Ending The Interstate Conflict Between Eritrea And Ethiopia | Elliot Short | Monitoring/Verification: United Nations, Dialogue, Peacekeeping | The war between Eritrea and Ethiopia was ended by mediation efforts led by the Organisation of African Unity during negotiations held in Algeria and the deployment of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) to the region. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-interstate-conflict-between-eritrea-and-ethiopia/ | Eritrea |
| Reducing Armed Conflict Across Nigeria (Middle Belt) | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Monitoring/Verification: Local, Migration and Conflict | The development of a peace infrastructure across the Middle Belt of Nigeria has helped to reduce armed conflict and prevent electoral violence. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-across-nigeria-middle-belt/ | Nigeria |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Uganda (West Nile) | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Amnesty, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR) | The ongoing insurgency in northern Uganda was ended with a peace agreement. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-uganda-west-nile/ | Uganda |
| Preventing An Interstate Conflict Between South Sudan And Sudan | Elliot Short | Referenda: Independence, Armed Non-State Actors, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization | South Sudan and Sudan have maintained relatively peaceful relations for a decade thanks to the mechanisms established following the 2011 referendum. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-an-interstate-conflict-between-south-sudan-and-sudan/ | Sudan / South Sudan |
| Purdue University Report on the International Peace and Prosperity Project in Guinea-Bissau | Mohan J. Dutta, Stacey L. Connaughton, Evan Hoffman, Agaptus Anaele, Christina Jones, Angela Kachuyevski | Violence prevention, local peacebuilding | The International Peace and Prosperity Project (IPPP) meaningfully contributed to peace in Guinea-Bissau by engaging in numerous diverse activities across different sectors and at various levels with many actors and collaborators. Based on five years of working towards peace and prosperity in Guinea-Bissau, two key lessons were learned. First, an effective violence prevention initiative needs to maintain maximum flexibility and pursue multiple initiatives simultaneously, especially during times of impending crisis. Second, leadership and engagement by local people is necessary for success in violence prevention and peace initiatives. Other important key lessons, as outlined later on in this report, were also gleaned from the IPPP experience. | https://www.cla.purdue.edu/ppp/documents/publications/Purdue.pdf | Guinea-Bissau |
| Building Just Societies: Reconciliation in Transitional Settings | Enrique Sánchez and Sylvia Rognvik | Reconciliation, Citizen Action, Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DM&E) | Reconciliation is a key objective in building sustainable peace and preventing a relapse into conflict. It is about (re) building relationships among people and groups in society and between the state and its citizens. The process is highly context sensitive, and each society has to tailor its approach to the nature of the conflict and the character of the transition. The reconciliation workshop held in Accra, Ghana in June 2012 gathered practitioners and experts from past and current reconciliation processes to share experiences in a practitioner dialogue and to inform future strategies and actions on reconciliation. It was a collaboration between the UN Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), the Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre (NOREF) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), and focused on lessons learned and good practices in thematic areas within reconciliation such as healing; the relation- ship between truth, justice and reconciliation; reparation; reconciliation efforts at different levels and how they are connected to one another; and the role of the international community. | https://www.un.org/peacebuilding/sites/www.un.org.peacebuilding/files/documents/12-58492_feb13.pdf | Ghana |
| Climate-Related Security Risks and Peacebuiliding in Mali | Farah Hegazi, Florian Krampe, Elizabeth Seymour Smith | Climate and peacebuiliding, Climate change, Climate-related risks | Climate-related security risks are transforming the security landscape in which multilateral peacebuilding efforts are taking place. Following a similar assessment of Somalia conducted in 2019, this study offers another glimpse into the future of peacebuilding in the time of climate change by providing an in-depth assessment of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). To help future peacebuilding efforts become more climate sensitive, the study aims to produce practical knowledge on: (a) how climate change in Mali is challenging the successful implementation of MINUSMA’s mandate; and (b) how MINUSMA has taken the challenges stemming from climate change into account in its ongoing operations. Mali is experiencing a multidimensional crisis, triggered by a rebellion in the north of the country in 2012. The northern and central regions are currently the most affected by violence and insecurity. Socio-economic exclusion, poor governance in peripheral areas and competition over natural resources are among the complex set of root causes of the current conflict. Combined with weak governance, climate change is further undermining people’s human security. The dependence on natural resources for livelihoods makes large segments of the population in Mali vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which are reshaping the social, political and economic context, and thereby potentially amplifying local grievances and marginalization. | https://www.sipri.org/publications/2021/sipri-policy-papers/climate-related-security-risks-and-peacebuilding-mali | Mali |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Nigeria (Plateau State) | Elliot Short | Alternative Dispute Resolution, Monitoring/Verification: Local, Early Warning | A military intervention by the Nigerian military helped to contain intercommunal violence in Plateau State until the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue mediated a peace agreement which ended the fighting and helped create a peace infrastructure to continue its work and prevent a conflict relapse. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-nigeria-plateau-state/ | Nigeria |
| Insecurity and Governance Challenges in Southern Libya | Frederic Wehrey | Instability, extremism, governance, international community, | Southern Libya remains a region of endemic instability wracked by communal conflict, a shortage of basic services, rampant smuggling, and fragmented or collapsed institutions. The region has long existed on the periphery of Libya’s politics and international concerns—but that must change. Increasingly, the vacuum of governance in the south has drawn in political actors from northern Libya and outside states. Extremists seeking refuge in the south and migrants being smuggled through the region directly impact the security of Libya, neighboring states like Tunisia, and Europe. | https://carnegieendowment.org/2017/03/30/insecurity-and-governance-challenges-in-southern-libya-pub-68451 | Libya |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In Democratic Republic Of Congo | Elliot Short | Elections, Violence Prevention, Governance: Transitition | An armed conflict was prevented during the 2006 general elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo thanks to the concerted efforts of local people and organisation, the Congolese administration, and donors such as the EU. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-democratic-republic-of-congo/ | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| If Victims Become Perpetrators: Factors Contributing to Vulnerability and Resilience to Violent Extremism in the Central Sahel | Luca Raineri | Violent extremism, Central Sahel | This study focuses on young Fulani people in the regions of Mopti (Mali), Sahel (Burkina Faso) and Tillabéri (Niger), and analyses the factors contributing to community vulnerability or resilience to violent extremism. One of the key findings of this research is the assertion that violent extremism in the central Sahel is primarily a response to local conflicts, and that the link with international jihadism is more rhetoric than reality. This study shows that the most determining factor contributing to vulnerability or resilience to violent extremism is the experience (or perception) of abuse and violation by government authorities. On the other hand, the study shows that strengthening social cohesion, supporting young men’s and women’s role in their communities, and mitigating social and gender exclusion could strengthen community resilience. The research also identifies strategies to deploy to curb violent extremism in the central Sahel. To restore trust between marginalised citizens and their governments, international partners need to prioritise efforts aimed at supporting state accountability towards its citizens; improve access to justice, especially transitional justice, and ensure inclusive governance; improve supervision of the armed forces; and promote youth employment, including through migration. | https://www.international-alert.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sahel-Violent-Extremism-Vulnerability-Resilience-EN-2018.pdf | Mali |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Nigeria (Kaduna State) | Elliot Short | Natural Resources and Conflict, Facilitation, Dialogue | The efforts of local people and organisations, the local administration, and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue helped to bring 29 communities affected by armed conflict together and create a peace agreement and an infrastructure to support and monitor implementation. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-nigeria-kaduna-state/ | Nigeria |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In The Republic Of Congo | Elliot Short | Reconcilitation, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Governance: Transition | A series of peace agreements mediated by the Government of Gabon brought an end to the armed conflict that engulfed the Republic of Congo during the 1990s. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-the-republic-of-congo/ | Republic of the Congo |
| Ending The Conflict In Sudan (South Sudan) | Elliot Short | Referenda: Independence, Governance: Power Sharing, Negotiations | The 50-year conflict between northern and southern Sudan was ended by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which paved the way for South Sudanese independence. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-conflict-in-sudan-south-sudan/ | Sudan |
| Lessons for “Partnership Peacekeeping” from the African Union Mission in Somalia | Paul D. Williams | peacekeeping, stabilization, security reform, partnerships, locally-led, financial sustainability | Deployed to Mogadishu in March 2007, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) operates through a complicated and extensive system of partnerships. This has been referred to as the “AMISOM model” of “partnership peacekeeping.” While this specific configuration of forces and mechanisms is unlikely to be repeated, AMISOM remains the longest-standing case of a peace enforcement operation built on such international partnerships. This report summarizes the main operational-level lessons across seven themes: force generation, logistics, security sector reform, protection of civilians, strategic communications, stabilization, and exit strategy. Many of these lessons have not been truly learned, internalized, and acted upon by the actors and organizations in question. | https://www.ipinst.org/2019/10/lessons-partnership-peacekeeping-amisom | Somalia |
| Reducing Conflict And Building Stability On The Burundi-Tanzania Border | Elliot Short | Training, Internally Displaced Persons/Refugees, Alternative Dispute Resolution | The UN has helped to manage conflict and instability along the international border between Burundi and Tanzania, reducing the likelihood of armed conflict between communities and minimising the risk of an interstate conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-conflict-and-building-stability-on-the-burundi-tanzania-border/ | Burundi, Tanzania |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Democratic Republic Of Congo (North Kivu - Cndp) | Elliot Short | Diplomacy, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Armed Non-State Actors | The armed conflict between the Congress for the Defence of the People and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in North Kivu was ended with a peace agreement following a UN investigation. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-democratic-republic-of-congo-north-kivu-cndp/ | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| The Impact of COVID-19 on Peace and Confict Dynamics: A Case Study of Korogocho Informal Settlement, Nairobi, Kenya | International Alert | Social cohesion, inter-communal conflict, COVID-19 | The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a major impact in Kenya, not just through illness and deaths caused by the virus, but also due to the effects of measures put in place to limit its spread. Kenya’s economy has contracted and household food insecurity has increased markedly. Many women, young people and members of vulnerable groups are worst affected by the socio-economic impacts. This research looked at the impact of COVID-19 not just on people’s livelihoods, but also on social cohesion in Nairobi’s informal settlements, with a focus on the Korogocho informal settlement. Korogocho was known to have a history of conflict and experienced particularly high levels of violence following the 2007 general election. It was also thought to be less ‘researched’ than some other informal settlements in Nairobi. | https://www.international-alert.org/publications/impact-covid-19-peace-and-conflict-dynamics-korogocho-nairobi-kenya | Kenya |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Sierra Leone | Elliot Short | Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Rule of Law, Ceasefire | The war in Sierra Leone was ended and constitutional rule was re-established by a British military intervention in support of a UN peacekeeping mission after over a decade of conflict and devastation. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-sierra-leone/ | Sierra Leone |
| Conflict Assessment, Galmudug State: An Analysis of Local Perspectives | Abass Kassim Sheikh, Janel B. Galvanek, Pascal Grimm | Inclusive Peace Processes, Local Peacemaking | This study investigated the nature and dynamics of conflicts in Galmudug State. The assessment examined the various conflicts that exist in the state and the key actors that play a central role in these conflicts. It also examined the conflict resolution mechanisms that are used to resolve local conflicts in Galmudug State, and the actors that play an important role in conflict resolution and reconciliation processes. Additionally, it examined opinions and attitudes on topics such as federalism and overall political participation in Galmudug State while also investigating the various challenges to conflict resolution and reconciliation processes. | https://berghof-foundation.org/library/conflict-assessment-galmudug-state-an-analysis-of-local-perspectives | Somalia |
| Reducing Armed Conflict in Sudan (South Kordofan) | Elliot Short | Locally-led peacemaking initiatives, Facilitation | Peace Committees created with support from the NGO Peace Direct conducted at least 32 successful interventions to prevent relatively minor disputes from escalating into armed conflict in South Kordofan, Sudan. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-in-sudan-south-kordofan/ | Sudan |
| Reducing Armed Conflict On The Ethiopia-Kenya Border | Elliot Short | Citizen Action, Early Warning, Monitoring/Verification: Local | Armed conflict between communities living near the Ethiopia-Kenya border was reduced and the risk of interstate conflict was significantly reduced. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-on-the-ethiopia-kenya-border/ | Ethiopia, Kenya |
| Reducing Armed Conflict In Mali | Elliot Short | Mediation, Peace Processes: Implementation, Monitoring/Verification: Third Party | The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue has facilitated a series of successful peace processes between communities in Mali, helping them to negotiate peace agreements and build mechanisms to prevent further conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-in-mali/ | Mali |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Mali (Second Tuareg Rebellion) | Elliot Short | Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, War Prevention | Mediation by the Government of Algeria resulted in a ceasefire, allowing local people and organisations in Mali to participate in a peace process which ended the Second Tuareg Rebellion in the early 1990s. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-mali-second-tuareg-rebellion/ | Mali |
| Empowering Ethiopian Women | USAID | Women, gender equality, community, education, health, equity. | This fact sheet emphasizes the importance of women's access to resources, community participation, and contributions. It brings insights into the relevance to Ethiopia and the United States. The essential focus on empowering Ethiopian Women resides on the programming of increasing female educational and economic opportunities while promoting health and safety, as well as increasing women's roles in conflict prevention and peacemaking. | https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/Fact_Sheet_Empowering_Ethiopian_Women_Jul_2017.pdf | Ethiopia |
| Early Warning / Early Response Mechanisms in Northern Nigeria | Horacio R. Trujillo | Early Warning, Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DM&E), Citizen Action | This report presents the summative findings of the quasi-experimental evaluation of SFCG’s project to strengthen mechanisms for Early Warning and Early Response in the Nigerian states of Adamawa and Borno. The project encompassed a number of SFCG initiatives to convene and train community leaders to engage in dialogue processes at the local and state levels (Community Security Architecture Dialogues (CSADs) and Peace Architecture Dialogues (PADs), respectively) in order to promote increased collaboration among community members, civil society organizations and government agencies and improved capacity of and greater confidence in governmental and nongovernmental security structures in insecure areas. The aspiration of the project was to allow these communities to benefit from early warning of and early response to potential violence in order to effectively mitigate these threats. Among the most notable effects of the project, which developed later in its implementation but nonetheless demonstrates significant sustainability, is the advancement of the role of women in these societies more broadly. Among the lessons to be learned from the project and accompanying recommendations, a primary one is that while this evaluation has been able to collect various evidence to suggest that the project has been effective – the assessment of similar projects can be much stronger if attention is given to evaluation at the time of design of the projects | https://www.sfcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Final_Evaluation_Early_Warning_Early_Response_Mechanisms_in_Northern_Nigeria_October_2019.pdf | Nigeria |
| ‘Capacities for Peace’: lessons from the Ivorian-Liberian border region | Janet Adama Mohammed | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Inclusive Peacebuilding, Citizen action | Between September 2013 and February 2016, Conciliation Resources and Saferworld implemented the ‘Capacities for Peace’ project in 32 conflict-affected contexts around the world. The project involved working with local actors to enhance the effectiveness of local analysis, early warning and early action. This report seeks to reflect on the experiences and achievements of the ‘Capacities for Peace’ work that was implemented in the Ivorian-Liberian border regions. The project sought to strengthen local ownership of peace initiatives in the Ivorian-Liberian border region by supporting the empowerment and capacity building of community-based peacebuilding actors. These actors were mobilised into District Platforms for Dialogue (DPDs) working to promote dialogue as an effective and non-violent means of redress. In total, four new DPDs were formed; Danané and Toulépléu in Côte d’Ivoire and Loguatou and Toetown in Liberia. The project provided the space and linkages for the DPDs and the wider border population to engage more effectively with local and national authorities. The DPDs were supported to undertake participatory research into the drivers of insecurities in their communities, which they used to sensitise duty bearers. The collaborative and non-accusatory engagement approach that they used ensured that duty bearers were largely receptive and responsive to the findings. These engagements created an appetite amongst government officials from both countries to participate in a bilateral dialogue process. | https://www.c-r.org/resource/capacities-peace-lessons-ivorian-liberian-border-region | Sierra Leone, Liberia |
| Engaging Civil Society Organizations in Conflict-Affected and Fragile States : Three African Country Case Studies | World Bank | Citizen action, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives , Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DM&E) | Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a prominent role in conflict-affected and fragile states. In the absence of capable or credible public institutions due to conflict or weak policy environments, CSOs tend to substitute for public institutions and become primary providers of basic social services. At the same time, the international donor community has increased its involvement in countries affected by conflict and instability, often relying increasingly on CSOs to reach the poor. While the prominent role of CSOs in social service delivery and other development activities is often seen as an interim solution, it may extend for years, even decades. Recognizing that reliance on CSOs is likely to prevail for the foreseeable future in many countries, there is a need to consider how to make CSO engagement more effective and sustainable. The objective of this report is to identify approaches to more effectively engage CSOs in the context of weak public institutions in conflict-affected and fragile states. The report will: 1) Examine the roles, strengths, and weaknesses of CSOs in terms of service delivery, community development, advocacy, peace building, and governance; 2) Identify the factors that influence CSO effectiveness in performing these functions; 3) Assess donor influence on CSOs and their indirect influence on governance by supporting CSOs; and 4) Discuss the relationship between CSOs and government including their changing roles, weak communication, and government efforts to coordinate and regulate CSO activity. Key findings are presented from pilots of the Civil Society Assessment Tool (CSAT) in Angola, Guinea Bissau, and Togo. The pilots were conducted from January 2004 to February 2005. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12772 | Africa |
| Preventing A Conflict Relapse In Sierra Leone | Elliot Short | Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Peace Processes: Implementation, Peacekeeping | The United Nations Mission to Sierra Leone disarmed over 70,000 combatants, oversaw a peaceful election, and helped to strengthen the Sierra Leonean state, preventing a conflict relapse. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-a-conflict-relapse-in-sierra-leone/ | Sierra Leone |
| Creating Stability through Prevention: a Locally Driven Ebola Prevention Campaign in Liberia | Purdue Peace Project | Public health, Ebola | In 2014, a decade after a prolonged civil war conflict, Liberia faced the greatest Ebola outbreak in its history. Over the course of the outbreak, more than 10,500 cases were recorded in the country and the total death toll equaled more than 4,500 individuals. The Ebola crisis posed not only a public health challenge, but also a political challenge in a country where post-war peace is still tenuous. To prevent the further spread of Ebola in their country, the Pen-Pen Peace Network (PPPN) – a peace committee of local Liberian citizens convened by the Purdue Peace Project (PPP) – designed, organized, and implemented what they called the Ebola Prevention Campaign. The PPPN conducted their Ebola Prevention Campaign with the support of the PPP and Women Movement for Sustainable Development Liberia (WOMSUD-Liberia). This report highlights the objectives, strategies, challenges, and impacts of the Ebola Prevention Campaign. The report is based on findings produced from data collected at multiple points in time between September 2014 and January 2015 during the Ebola Prevention Campaign. | https://cla.purdue.edu/ppp/documents/publications/Creating.pdf | Liberia |
| National Election Response Groups as infrastructures for peace | Reuben J.B. Lewis | election violence, state-building, locally-led | In West Africa, National Elections Response Groups (NERGs) are being developed as response structures to mitigate election-related conflict, and their operationalisation is proving to be successful in a number of countries that have held elections – including, most recently, in Sierra Leone. NERGs are designed as infrastructures for peace, and serve as platforms for peaceful dialogue and shuttle diplomacy with political parties during national elections. NERGs also respond to incidences of harassment, intimidation and violence; work towards keeping communities calm and organised; and engage with all political groups to keep the peace. This article discusses the development and operationalisation of NERGs as an infrastructure for peace during recent elections in some West African countries. | https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/national-election-response-groups-as-infrastructures-for-peace/ | Ghana |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Burundi | Elliot Short | Governance: Transition, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization, Ratification: Peace Agreement | International mediation efforts led by South African President Nelson Mandela and the deployment of African Union and UN peacekeepers helped to end the war in Burundi after 13 years of armed conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-burundi/ | Burundi |
| Ending The Proxy Conflict Between Chad And Sudan | Elliot Short | Armed Non-State Actors, Diplomacy: Track 1, Peace Processes: Implementation | A peace agreement mediated by the Government of Senegal helped to end years of proxy conflict between the governments of Chad and Sudan and reduce the risk of a major interstate conflict between them. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-proxy-conflict-between-chad-and-sudan/ | Chad |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In South Africa (Natal) | Elliot Short | Ceasefire, Election, Reconciliation | The armed conflict between the ANC and Inkatha/IFP in the South African province of Natal during the end of apartheid was ended. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-south-africa-natal/ | South Africa |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In Zimbabwe | Elliot Short | Governance: Transitition, Peace Processes: Inclusion, Preventive Diplomacy | The diplomatic intervention of the Southern African Development Community and South African President Mbeki helped to avert an armed conflict in Zimbabwe following a contested election in 2008. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-zimbabwe/ | Zimbabwe |
| Reducing Armed Conflict On The Mali-Niger-Burkina Faso International Border | Elliot Short | Mediation, Reconciliation, Peace Processes: Implementation | The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue has worked with the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to reduce armed conflict in the frontier region where their respective international borders meet. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-on-the-mali-niger-burkina-faso-international-border/ | Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso |
| Resolving The Militarised Territorial Disputes Between Botswana And Namibia | Elliot Short | Negotiation, Mediation, Ratification: Peace Agreement | The territorial dispute between Botswana and Namibia, the result of an 1890 treaty between Germany and the UK, was peacefully resolved by the arbitration of the International Court of Justice in 1999 after a series of border clashes. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/resolving-the-militarised-territorial-disputes-between-botswana-and-namibia/ | Botswana, Namibia |
| African Peace Processes (APP) | ETH Zurich | Peace Negotiations Data | The “African Peace Processes (APP)” dataset covers peacemaking efforts in armed conflicts in Africa over the 1989–2019 period. Specifically, the APP dataset identifies rounds of peace negotiations in armed conflicts listed by the Uppsala Conflict Database Program (UCDP). Overall, the data cover more than 2,600 individual peace-negotiation rounds across 769 conflict-years in Africa. For each negotiation round, the APP dataset lists the start and end dates, and provides information on the negotiation’s outcome as well as on any third party involved as a mediator. | https://css.ethz.ch/en/research/datasets/african-peace-processes--app-.html | Africa |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Nigeria (Southern Plateau State) | Elliot Short | Monitoring/Verification: Local, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Inclusive Peacebuilding | Local people and organisations and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue developed a peace declaration that ended the ongoing low-intensity armed conflicts between 56 communities in southern Plateau State, Nigeria. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-nigeria-southern-plateau-state/ | Nigeria |
| The Role of Inclusive Multi-stakeholder Partnerships in Enhancing Conflict Transformation in the Great Lakes | Bernard Okok Obuoga | conflict management, effectiveness, cyclical conflict | The Great Lakes Project (GLP), a collaborative initiative by the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and the Nairobi Peace Initiative – Africa (NPI-Africa) – developed a three-year project in 2012, titled “Consolidating Peacebuilding in the Great Lakes of Africa”. The overall purpose of the project was to ensure that local communities were mobilised to engage with, and address, conflict factors through grassroots civil society organisations (CSOs). While undertaking its mandate, the GLP identified various challenges and policy gaps, which included the lack of strategic approaches to prevent conflict relapse. This paper illustrates and interrogates the dynamics of these shortcomings, and defines the role of inclusive, multi-stakeholder partnerships to address these. | https://www.accord.org.za/publication/role-inclusive-multi-stakeholder-partnerships-enhancing-conflict-transformation-great-lakes/ | Africa |
| Reducing Armed Conflict On The Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia Border | Elliot Short | Armed Non-State Actors, Preventive Diplomacy, Peacekeeping | Armed conflict has been reduced in the relatively unstable borderlands between Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia and bilateral relations have also improved. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-on-the-cote-divoire-liberia-border/ | Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In Ghana (Kingdom Of Dagbon) | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Identity and Conflict, Governance: Power Sharing | A war between rival claimants to the throne of the Kingdom of Dagbon in Northern Ghana was prevented by a Ghanaian military intervention and the mediation of a peace agreement after sixteen years of talks. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-ghana-kingdom-of-dagbonauto/ | Ghana |
| Evaluation of Search for Common Ground Programming in Liberia | Susan Shepler, Olaide Omideyi, Clementine Lue Clark | Project Evaluation, Mediation, Peacemaking | This evaluation report provides insight into how peace committees, advocacy, and spreading awareness through media can help reduce tensions between communities. The report further offers insights into the impact of financial constraints on peacemaking projects. | https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5db70e83fc0a966cf4cc42ea/t/5f344ea8f8fcbb7dfed5d227/1597263529886/0344.pdf | Liberia |
| Reducing Armed Conflict In Somalia (Somaliland) | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Dialogue | Thanks to the efforts of local people and organisations, Somaliland has remained at peace for almost thirty years while much of the rest of Somalia was been plagued by conflict and famine. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-in-somalia-somaliland/ | Somalia |
| Resolving The Militarised Territorial Dispute Between Eritrea And Yemen | Elliot Short | Diplomacy: Track 1, Mediation, Rule of Law | The immediate threat of armed conflict was ended and the territorial dispute over the Hanish Islands was resolved by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/resolving-the-militarised-territorial-dispute-between-eritrea-and-yemen/ | Yemen, Eritrea |
| Youth as Agents of Peace : Somalia | World Bank; United Nation | Economics and Conflict, Youth | This paper is the first joint country study conducted by the United Nations and the World Bank aimed at translating into practice the principles of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2250, through direct and local engagement with young people and their communities in one of the most fragile and conflict-ridden areas on the African continent. Focusing on young people is particularly meaningful as Somalia’s population is the youngest of the African continent overall. Against a backdrop of continued conflict, insecurity, and violent extremism facing Somalia, the study offers a positive vision for defining peace as articulated by young women and men. It concludes by offering an operational framework for supporting youth in peacebuilding. The report’s recommendations postulate a comprehensive understanding of youth, peace, and conflict going beyond solutions based solely on increased employment. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12770 | Somalia |
| Bringing Stability to Somalia | Elliot Short | Local Peace Initiative, Conflict Prevention | Most of north-east Somalia was spared from the conflicts and famines of the 1990s thanks to the efforts of local people and organisations in Puntland to reduce armed conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/bringing-stability-to-somalia/ | Somalia |
| Reducing Armed Conflict In Ghana | Elliot Short | Mediation, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Citizen Action | Armed conflict across Ghana has been reduced by the construction and maintenance of a comprehensive peace infrastructure. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-in-ghana/ | Ghana |
| Strengthening local and national infrastructures for peace in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and South Sudan | Nontobeko Zondi, Wandile Langa | Conflict Management, peacebuilding, conflict prevention | In 2016, ACCORD outlined its 2017–2021 Six-Pillar Strategy, which seeks to contribute to sustainable peace, security and development in Africa by mitigating conflict. One of the critical pillars of the Strategy is Pillar 2, which focuses on strengthening local and national infrastructures for peace. This Policy and Practice Brief aims to reflect on the practical experiences, challenges and lessons of ACCORD in advancing the concept of local and national capacity for peace, in the period 2018 to 2019. The preliminary reflections are drawn from ACCORD’s work in four countries, namely, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Lesotho and South Sudan. | https://www.accord.org.za/publication/strengthening-local-and-national-infrastructures-for-peace-in-burundi-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-lesotho-and-south-sudan/ | South Sudan |
| Interactions Between Peacemaking and Constitution-Making Processes in Burundi: A Stabilising or a Crisis Factor? | Willy Peter Nindorera | Democracy and Governance, Conflict Prevention | This study analyzes the regional mediation process of the Arusha Accords in Burundi. The process, first chaired by president of Tanzania Nyerere and then by Nelson Mandela, lasted for over two years and led to very comprehensive and detailed peace agreements. Constitutional reforms followed and were, to a large extent, directly implemented provisions from the Arusha Accords after another complicated negotiations process which required further mediation by South Africa. This case suggests that while the process has managed to end the civil war, it lacks legitimacy and it has not led to democratic governance. The case study also analyzes the role of ethnicity in peace processes, the impact of different mediation styles, the limitations of power sharing agreements, and the challenges of transforming rebel groups into political parties. | https://berghof-foundation.org/library/interactions-between-peacemaking-and-constitution-making-processes-in-burundi-a-stabilising-or-a-crisis-factor | Burundi |
| Strengthening local and national infrastructures for peace in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and South Sudan | Nontobeko Zondi, Wandile Langa | Conflict Management, peacebuilding, conflict prevention | In 2016, ACCORD outlined its 2017–2021 Six-Pillar Strategy, which seeks to contribute to sustainable peace, security and development in Africa by mitigating conflict. One of the critical pillars of the Strategy is Pillar 2, which focuses on strengthening local and national infrastructures for peace. This Policy and Practice Brief aims to reflect on the practical experiences, challenges and lessons of ACCORD in advancing the concept of local and national capacity for peace, in the period 2018 to 2019. The preliminary reflections are drawn from ACCORD’s work in four countries, namely, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Lesotho and South Sudan. | https://www.accord.org.za/publication/strengthening-local-and-national-infrastructures-for-peace-in-burundi-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-lesotho-and-south-sudan/ | Lesotho |
| Creating Spaces for Effective CVE Approaches | George Holmer | Violent Extremism, Training, Youth | Unlike other counterterrorism strategies, countering violent extremism (CVE) focuses on preventing individuals from being recruited into or joining violent extremist groups. CVE is a complex endeavor, largely because the reasons individuals become involved in extremist violence are in themselves complex and the dynamics are unique to each conflict. Using Kenya as an example, and drawing on observations from a recent visit, the author explores how promoting a more nuanced understanding of radicalization can help reach those who are at risk of being pushed and pulled into extremist violence. | https://www.usip.org/publications/2014/09/creating-spaces-effective-cve-approaches | Kenya |
| Promoting Peaceful and Safe Seasonal Migration in Northern Central African Republic | Guillaume de Brier, Peer Schouten, Peter Marsden, Dirk Gillebert, Timea Szarkova, Anna Moens, Lucie Haye | Seasonal migration, conflict | The borderlands of the Central African Republic (CAR) are home to one of the largest seasonal livestock migrations (transhumance) in the world. Decades of unrest and crisis, however, have brutally disrupted most aspects of herding—the routes taken, the people involved, governance mechanisms, as well as relations to local populations. To understand these changes and inform future peacebuilding efforts, IPIS and Concordis conducted a large-scale mapping and consultation with 1.300 stakeholders in CAR’s western borderlands of Ouham-Pendé and Western Ouham. Based on these consultations, the report takes a deep dive into the different mutual perceptions of transboundary and local herders and sedentary people of the deep causes of conflict and pathways for peaceful cohabitation. It identifies changes in herding routes and practices, highlights grass-root barriers to peace, assesses trust in different institutions for security and justice, and identifies opportunities for conflict transformation and economic growth. | https://pure.diis.dk/ws/files/4060092/2021_Concordis_Report.pdf | Central African Republic |
| Transitional Justice and DDR: The Case of Rwanda | Lars Waldorf | Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Peace Process, Transitional Justice | The International Center for Transitional Justice explores the relationship between transitional justice interventions and disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs in the case of post-genocide Rwanda. The creation of 11,000 Gacaca (courts) enabled Rwanda to have trials for 1/5 of the adult population and they also began the process of DDR 1995, demobilizing and reintegrating 54,000 people by 2009. Some barriers to success have been overpromised foreign aid, a failed micro-credit scheme, lack of gender sensitivity, and extensive stays in rehabilitation centers, and political instability. A number of organizations have set upon DDR and have offered protection, education, rehabilitation respites, transportation, financial support, etc. The local Gacaca helped to ensure accountability and in some cases reparations on a wide yet sustainable level. The clearest outcome of this study is that DDR and transitional justice efforts (Gacaca) are more successful when carried out in isolation of each other. It became clear to the researchers that DDR would cease to be a genuine effort when combined with a justice process. | https://www.ictj.org/sites/default/files/ICTJ-DDR-Rwanda-CaseStudy-2009-English.pdf | Rwanda |
| Ending The Armed Conflict Between Communities In Ethiopia And Kenya | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Dialogue, Problem-Solving Workshop | The 2005-2009 conflict between the Gabra and Borana communities on the Ethiopia/Kenya border was ended, stabilising the frontier, and reducing the likelihood of further conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-between-communities-in-ethiopia-and-kenya/ | Ethiopia |
| Safe Havens Amidst the Jihadist Storm: How Leaders Spare Some Regions from Terrorist Violence in the Sahel | Mathieu Bere | Conflict Prevention, Locally-led Peacemaking: Youth-led, Locally-led Peacemaking: Interreligious | This study identifies what has helped the people of Amataltal in Niger and Dori in Burkina Faso maintain a relatively satisfactory level of peace and security amidst the jihadist storm that has been sweeping across the Sahara-Sahel region since 2011. To that end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 key local actors selected through purposeful sampling techniques, with the help of local partner organizations, in Amataltal, Agadez, and Niamey in Niger, and Dori in Burkina Faso during the summer of 2021. The respondents were from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, including men, women, and youth leaders. One of the major findings is that the relative peace and security enjoyed by Dori, Amataltal, and the larger Agadez region resulted from a set of initiatives taken by local actors who understood that peace cannot be obtained only through military means, but also requires local solutions, involving local leaders and the whole population, to satisfactorily address security, development, and governance issues. The peace activism of local leaders, the commitment of the population to peace and social cohesion, the establishment of local infrastructures for peace (especially local peace committees), the vocational training and provision of economic opportunities to youth, and a more visible, positive presence of the government, have made a critical difference in terms of peace and security between Dori, Amataltal, and Agadez, and other localities affected by jihadist terrorism in Niger and Burkina Faso. There have been some significant obstacles and challenges: the lack of adequate financial and logistical resources to conduct their activities; difficulties of communicating, traveling, and mobilizing people; and the difficult relationships that local civil society actors and international partners often had with government officials whenever they took a critical stance. This study calls attention to the fact that local people are not only recipients of peacebuilding. They are, and can be, change agents and key actors for violence prevention and peacebuilding in their societies. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12982?show=full | Burkina Faso |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Djibouti | Elliot Short | Civil War, Ceasefire, Governance: Constitutions | A series of peace agreements mediated by the Government of France ended the armed conflict in Djibouti and French peacekeepers helped to verify implementation. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-djibouti/ | Djibouti |
| Containing The Armed Conflict In Western Sahara | Elliot Short | Peacekeeping,Governance: Transition, Monitoring/Verification: United Nations | The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara has helped to prevent renewed armed conflict in Western Sahara since 1991. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/containing-the-armed-conflict-in-western-sahara/ | Western Sahara |
| Creating the Political Space for Prevention: How ECOWAS Supports Nationally Led Strategies | Paige Arthur, Céline Monnier | Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization, Early Warning, Citizen action | In discussions on the prevention agenda at the United Nations, member states express reservations about potential infringement upon their sovereignty. Some are concerned about an approach to prevention that entails an assessment of their vulnerabilities and risks for violent conflict. This policy brief looks at how ECOWAS has addressed similar sensitivities with its member states in West Africa and is successfully accompanying them to build nationally led, upstream prevention strategies. | https://cic.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/regional_organization_final_august_29_pdf.pdf | West Africa |
| Resolving The Militarised Territorial Disputes Between Cameroon And Nigeria | Elliot Short | Mediation, Negotiations, Diplomacy: Track 1 | A militarised territorial dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria was resolved by the International Court of Justice, the Organisation of African Unity, and the UN helped to ensure the peaceful withdrawal of Nigerian forces from the contested area. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/resolving-the-militarised-territorial-disputes-between-cameroon-and-nigeria/ | Cameroon, Nigeria |
| Keeping The Peace In Somalia (Puntland) | Elliot Short | Governance: Transition, Elections, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives | Puntland has enjoyed relative peace while conflict has continued across most of Somalia. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/keeping-the-peace-in-somalia-puntland/ | Somalia |
| Ending The Proxy Conflict Between Chad And Sudan | Elliot Short | Armed Non-State Actors, Diplomacy: Track 1, Peace Processes: Implementation | A peace agreement mediated by the Government of Senegal helped to end years of proxy conflict between the governments of Chad and Sudan and reduce the risk of a major interstate conflict between them. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-proxy-conflict-between-chad-and-sudan/ | Sudan |
| Preventing A Conflict Relapse In Mozambique (2013 – 2018) | Elliot Short | Negotiations, Ceasefire, Armed Non-State Actors | Talks mediated by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the Government of Switzerland helped to prevent a conflict relapse in Mozambique more than two decades after the devastating civil war there had ended. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-a-conflict-relapse-in-mozambique-2013-2018/ | Mozambique |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In Tunisia | Elliot Short | Citizen Action, Governance: Constitutions, Mediation | The National Dialogue Quartet, a consortium of four major Tunisian civil society organisations, helped to prevent armed conflict and guide their country on a peaceful course in the wake of the 2011 Jasmine Revolution. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-tunisia/ | Tunisia |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In The Gambia | Elliot Short | Governance: Transition, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization, Elections | The deployment of an Economic Community of West African States peacekeeping force has helped The Gambia to prevent a constitutional crisis that from escalating into an armed conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-the-gambia_2-2/ | Gambia |
| Regional Economic Communities and Peacebuilding in Africa Lessons from ECOWAS and IGAD | Victor Adetula, Redie Bereketeab, Cyril Obi | Peacebuilding, Economics | This book outlines challenges to the effective operation of regional economic communities (RECs) with regards to peacebuilding in Africa. Critically examining these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, with a focus on comparative analysis of the status, role, and performances of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), it examines particular constraints to their effective participation in regional initiatives. Focussing on inadequate technical capabilities, the complicity of state and non-state actors in conflicts within a region, the domestic politics of member states, it additionally addresses related theories and practices of peacekeeping, security, development, and the peacebuilding nexus. It also engages provisioning, regionalism, and regional peacekeeping interventions, the legal and institutional framework of RECs, and civil society and peacebuilding. Fundamentally, the book asks how effective the alliances and partnerships are in promoting regional peace and security and how much they are compromised by the intervention of external powers and actors, exploring new ideas and actions that may strengthen capacities to address the peacebuilding challenges on the continent effectively. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of African politics and studies, peace and security studies, regionalism studies, policy practitioners in the field of African peacebuilding, and more broadly to international relations. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12175 | Africa |
| Preventing Interstate Conflict Between Djibouti And Eritrea | Elliot Short | Diplomacy: Track 1, Monitoring/Verification: Third Party, Ratification: Peace Agreement | A low-intensity interstate conflict between Djibouti and Eritrea was prevented from escalating into a major war thanks to the mediation efforts of the Government of Qatar and the deployment of a Qatari peacekeeping mission. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-interstate-conflict-between-djibouti-and-eritrea/ | Djibouti, Eritrea |
| Resolving The Militarised Border Dispute Between Guinea-Bissau And Senegal | Elliot Short | Preventive Diplomacy, Rule of Law, War Prevention | French diplomacy helped to prevent border clashes from escalating while the arbitration of the ICJ resolved the territorial dispute between the two countries. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/resolving-the-militarised-border-dispute-between-guinea-bissau-and-senegal/ | Guinea-Bissau, Senegal |
| Preventing A Conflict Relapse In West Africa With Legal Prosecutions | Elliot Short | Reconciliation, Human Rights, Rule of Law | By removing powerful figures with a history of employing violence and armed conflict from the political environment, establishing a historical record of events leading up to and during the war, and bringing the perpetrators of war crimes to justice, a series of transitional justice mechanisms helped to prevent a conflict relapse in West Africa. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-a-conflict-relapse-in-west-africa-with-legal-prosecutions/ | West Africa |
| Ending the Armed Conflict in Angola | Elliot Short | Mediation, Peace Agreement | An agreement negotiated by the belligerents ended the conflict in Angola. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-angola/ | Angola |
| The Importance and Value of Local Peacemaking Initiatives: Lessons From Africa | Better Evidence Project | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Mediation, Peacemaking | This session focus on the importance of local peacemaking initiatives and how outside intervenors can complement rather undermine such efforts, as too often occurs. The specific focus is on examples from Sub-Saharan Africa. Three cases are highlighted: a South Kivu dialogue process that was organized and facilitated by Carter School faculty member Charles Davidson and local partners in the DRC; local mediation practice in Bangassou in the Central African Republic supported by UN Senior Mediation Advisor and Better Evidence Project Advisory Board member Emmanuel Bombande; and a successful network of women mediators (HAWENKA) who have strengthened the ongoing peace process among warring Somali diaspora groups in Northern Kenya. The Carter School’s Better Evidence Project provided a grant to HAWENKA that developed lessons from the mediation with an eye to developing evidence of the effectiveness of locally facilitated peacemaking efforts. There is also a facilitated discussion about how local peacemaking initiatives are becoming more prevalent and more successful in areas where international efforts have usually failed. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/the-importance-and-value-of-local-peacemaking-initiatives-lessons-from-africa/ | Africa |
| National Election Response Groups as infrastructures for peace | Reuben J.B. Lewis | election violence, state-building, locally-led | In West Africa, National Elections Response Groups (NERGs) are being developed as response structures to mitigate election-related conflict, and their operationalisation is proving to be successful in a number of countries that have held elections – including, most recently, in Sierra Leone. NERGs are designed as infrastructures for peace, and serve as platforms for peaceful dialogue and shuttle diplomacy with political parties during national elections. NERGs also respond to incidences of harassment, intimidation and violence; work towards keeping communities calm and organised; and engage with all political groups to keep the peace. This article discusses the development and operationalisation of NERGs as an infrastructure for peace during recent elections in some West African countries. | https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/national-election-response-groups-as-infrastructures-for-peace/ | Liberia |
| Stabilizing Northeast Nigeria After Boko Haram | Saskia Brechenmacher | Instability, governance, locally-led, conflict-prevention | This paper provides an overview of these local-level efforts and the theories of change that undergird them.3 It highlights initial lessons learned by donors and implementers, as well as persistent tensions between local-level program objectives and higher-level political and conflict dynamics. Most stabilization programs were designed with the assumption that the security situation in northeastern Nigeria would continue to improve, thereby facilitating the gradual return of displaced populations and local government. Yet in practice, Nigeria’s overstretched, under-resourced, and corruption-plagued military has struggled to consolidate its gains. Civilians in many parts of the northeast face ongoing threats from both insurgent attacks as well as counterterrorism operations. Rampant corruption and ineffective coordination have hampered the Nigerian government’s civilian response to the crisis, with various federal, state, and local elites benefiting from the continuation of the crisis. Moreover, while international partners stress the need for a regional response to the crisis, the region lacks an effective political infrastructure, and cooperation has been primarily externally driven. The Nigerian case thus exemplifies the difficulties of implementing effective local-level stabilization efforts while working with a host government that lacks political commitment, transparency, and coordination. While local-level programs have shown positive impacts in various areas, they have struggled to gain wider traction—particularly since donors are often working through or dependent on the government to operate. | https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/05/03/stabilizing-northeast-nigeria-after-boko-haram-pub-79042 | Nigeria |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In South Africa | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking: Interreligious, Governance: Transition, Dialogue | The armed conflict between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Government of South Africa was ended and the risk of a larger war was minimised. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-south-africa/ | South Africa |
| Strengthening local and national infrastructures for peace in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and South Sudan | Nontobeko Zondi, Wandile Langa | Conflict Management, peacebuilding, conflict prevention | In 2016, ACCORD outlined its 2017–2021 Six-Pillar Strategy, which seeks to contribute to sustainable peace, security and development in Africa by mitigating conflict. One of the critical pillars of the Strategy is Pillar 2, which focuses on strengthening local and national infrastructures for peace. This Policy and Practice Brief aims to reflect on the practical experiences, challenges and lessons of ACCORD in advancing the concept of local and national capacity for peace, in the period 2018 to 2019. The preliminary reflections are drawn from ACCORD’s work in four countries, namely, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Lesotho and South Sudan. | https://www.accord.org.za/publication/strengthening-local-and-national-infrastructures-for-peace-in-burundi-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-lesotho-and-south-sudan/ | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Ending The Armed Conflict Between Communities In Ethiopia And Kenya | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Dialogue, Problem-Solving Workshop | The 2005-2009 conflict between the Gabra and Borana communities on the Ethiopia/Kenya border was ended, stabilising the frontier, and reducing the likelihood of further conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-between-communities-in-ethiopia-and-kenya/ | Kenya |
| Preventing Conflict Relapse In Liberia | Elliot Short | Fragility, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Training | A series of peacekeeping operations helped to maintain stability in Liberia for fifteen years following the signing of the Accra Agreement, preventing a conflict relapse. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-conflict-relapse-in-liberia/ | Liberia |
| Breaking the Silos: Pragmatic National Approaches to Prevention | Paige Arthur, Céline Monnier | Early Warning, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Inclusive Peacebuilding | Through the twin resolutions on sustaining peace, member states have agreed on the relevance of a cross-pillar approach to prevention. Now the challenge lies in implementation. One place to look for positive examples is at country level, where governments tend to have a more pragmatic and less “siloed” approach to prevention, addressing the different risk factors simultaneously. In this policy briefing, we draw on examples from Côte d’Ivoire and Timor-Leste to illustrate how countries have developed integrated actions on prevention that cut across sectors, including security, development, and human rights. We then highlight options for the UN to better support these strategies through cross-pillar approaches and identify practical ways forward for governments implementing prevention approaches. | https://cic.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/pragmatic_national_approaches_to_prevention_final_august_31_web.pdf | Cote D'Ivoire |
| Preventing Widespread Conflict In Democratic Republic Of Congo (Ituri) | Elliot Short | Food Insecurity, Internally Displaced Persons/Refugees, Humanitarian Engagement | Operation Artemis prevented a much larger conflict which could have contributed to a major famine from happening in Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2003. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-widespread-conflict-in-democratic-republic-of-congo-ituri/ | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Pursuing disaster risk reduction on fractured foundations: the case of Chad | Katie Peters, Anne-Lise Dewulf, Veronique Barbelet, Colette Benoudji, Virginie Le Masson | Climate and Conflict, Food Insecurity, Governance | Conventional disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts tend to focus on mitigating risk related to short-term, extreme events associated with high-visibility catastrophes such as earthquakes, floods and landslides. However, some of the most neglected and unreported humanitarian crises around the world are caused by long-term conditions such as drought. The effects of slow-onset disasters are particularly devastating when compounded by conflict, fragility and violence, but this aspect of DRR has generally been neglected in mainstream thinking and practice. Known for its vulnerability to drought and food insecurity, Chad illustrates how conflict can undermine the foundations of development and economic growth. This case study challenges conventional thinking on how to promote DRR in a situation of conflict and poor governance. Instead of pushing forward with recommendations for more financial resources and technical capacity, the research questions whether an alternative, more politically astute approach could be taken to ensure systematic integration of risk into development decisions. Simply put, this framing would employ a ‘networking’ strategy applied through a conflict lens. Starting with what already exists, it would recognise where political traction could provide a viable entry point to advance progress on DRR and disaster risk governance as part of overall efforts to adapt to climate change and promote sustainable development. | https://odi.org/en/publications/pursuing-disaster-risk-reduction-on-fractured-foundations-the-case-of-chad/ | Chad |
| Reflecting on the Role of Regional and International Interventions in Resolving the Post-coup Crisis in Sudan | Clayton Hazvinei Vhumbunu | Citizen Action, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization, Governance: Transitition | A coup brought to Sudan a change of power after the 30-year governance of the former president Al-Bashir, which was followed by a crisis as there was no effective transitional governance. Following these lines, regional and international interventions influenced Sudan in its post-coup crisis, creating a pathway towards a more stable transition and settlement. External actors -- some regional and international institutions -- have had implications in African conflicts. Taking into account the accomplishments and limitation, the role of regional and international actors were key to addressing conflict and tensions in Sudan and the subregion. The transitional governance in Sudan provides an example of enhanced sustainability and broader involvement by external influences on the continent. This article focuses on the main influential external actors, which include the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ethiopia (under the Ethiopian Initiative), the African Union Commission (AUC), the Arab League, the Sudan Troika (of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Norway) and the United Nations (UN). Coordinated interventions such as this one — leading to civilian-led government and stability — provide insights towards the role of external institutions upon peace and stability in the continent, which are worth reflecting on and considering for further action. | https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/reflecting-on-the-role-of-regional-and-international-interventions-in-resolving-the-post-coup-crisis-in-sudan/ | Sudan |
| Locally Led Peacebuiliding: A Case Study of a Chieftency Dispute in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana | Purdue Peace Project | Local peacebuiliding, community dispute | Locally led peacebuilding, also referred to as locally driven peacebuilding, is a move to recognize that those who are directly affected by conflict should drive peacebuilding efforts. This white paper responds to calls for more data-driven exemplars of locally driven peacebuilding. It does so by presenting as a case study the work of the Purdue Peace Project (PPP) in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana to help prevent violence related to a long-standing chieftaincy dispute. | https://www.cla.purdue.edu/ppp/documents/publications/locallyledpeacebuilding2018.pdf | Ghana |
| Elections and Violent Conflict in Kenya: Making Prevention Stick | Claire Elder; Susan Stigant; Jonas Claes | Election, Dialogue, Human Rights | This report aims to complement existing postelection analysis by examining local experiences of Kenya’s 2013 general elections, evaluating the various factors that worked to prevent widespread violent conflict and assessing the sustainability of the “relative calm” achieved during the electoral period. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and its partners, the Constitutional Reform and Education Consortium (CRECO) and the Interparty Youth Forum (IPYF), convened citizen dialogues and conducted key informant interviews to evaluate preventive efforts around the March 2013 general elections in Kenya. Through qualitative research, USIP and its partners collected original data from November to mid-December 2013 in ten carefully selected counties across Kenya— Marsabit, Embu, Nyeri, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma, Kisumu, Nyamira, Mombasa, and Nairobi. The citizen views collected offer valuable insights into popular attitudes and the factors that influenced behavior during the electoral process. This report is part of USIP’s broader commitment to peace in the Horn of Africa and thematic focus on preventing electoral violence. | https://www.usip.org/publications/2014/11/elections-and-violent-conflict-kenya-making-prevention-stick | Kenya |
| The Missing Link : Fostering Positive Citizen-State Relations in Post-Conflict Environments | von Kaltenborn-Stachau, Henriette. | Governance: Reforms, Inclusive Peacebuilding, Citizen Action | The aim of this study is to convince national and multilateral policy makers of the importance of the public sphere concept for democratic governance and strategic post-conflict assistance planning with the objective of positive and sustainable change in current post-conflict assistance policy and practice. The study introduces the conceptual thinking underlying the public sphere framework and, citing evidence from different countries, highlights its relevance and calls for its application in post-conflict environments. For practitioners the study provides a public sphere assessment toolkit and a toolbox for interventions. It also offers concrete examples and recommendations on how to address the specific governance challenges identified through a public sphere analysis in three countries: Timor-Leste, Liberia and Burundi. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12778 | Africa |
| Preventing Interstate Conflict In The Great Lakes | Elliot Short | Peace Processes: Strategies, Diplomacy: Track 1, Conflict Prevention | After being established by the African Union and the UN, the ICGLR has prevented further interstate conflict in the Great Lakes since 2003. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-interstate-conflict-in-the-great-lakes/ | Great Lakes |
| Integrating Peacebuilding within Policy Frameworks in Post-conflict Settings | Wilfred Gray-Johnson | Post-conflict, United Nations, frameworks, peacebuilding, policy | Since 2006, there has been much effort exerted towards integrating peacebuilding as a component of key policies and strategies as well as development programmes in post-conflict countries. This article intends to contribute to ongoing discussions on institutionalising peacebuilding, with a focus on Liberia. The article sets the premise that in order to foster the link between security and emergency programming, including longer-term development and sustained peace, especially in post-conflict countries, peacebuilding elements need to be infused into policies and programmes. In this regard, the article discusses efforts by the government of Liberia to integrate peacebuilding as a component of policies and frameworks as well as development programmes. | https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/integrating-peacebuilding-within-policy-frameworks-in-post-conflict-settings/ | Liberia |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Guinea-bissau | Elliot Short | Peacekeeping, Ceasefire, Elections | Mediation by the CPLP and ECOWAS helped to end the civil war in Guinea-Bissau. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-guinea-bissau/ | Guinea-Bissau |
| The six principles of Adaptive Peacebuilding | ACCORD | Adaptive peacebuilding, fragile states, locally-led, theory of change | Adaptive peacebuilding is an approach that can help navigate this delicate balance between international support and local self-organisation. Peacebuilders, together with the communities and people affected by the conflict, actively engage in a structured process to sustain peace by employing an iterative process of learning and adaptation. The adaptive peacebuilding approach is aimed at supporting societies to develop the resilience and robustness they need to cope with and adapt to change by developing greater levels of complexity in their social institutions. | https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/the-six-principles-of-adaptive-peacebuilding/ | Central African Republic |
| The six principles of Adaptive Peacebuilding | ACCORD | Adaptive peacebuilding, fragile states, locally-led, theory of change | Adaptive peacebuilding is an approach that can help navigate this delicate balance between international support and local self-organisation. Peacebuilders, together with the communities and people affected by the conflict, actively engage in a structured process to sustain peace by employing an iterative process of learning and adaptation. The adaptive peacebuilding approach is aimed at supporting societies to develop the resilience and robustness they need to cope with and adapt to change by developing greater levels of complexity in their social institutions. | https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/the-six-principles-of-adaptive-peacebuilding/ | South Sudan |
| Preventing Armed Conflict in Nigeria | Elliot Short | Problem-Solving Workshop, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Monitoring/Verification: United Nations | The National Peace Committee helped to guide Nigeria through its first peaceful elections in history amidst a tense a political climate, preventing an armed conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-nigeria/ | Nigeria |
| Operationalizing the Sustaining Peace Agenda: Lessons from Burkina Faso, Liberia, and Papua New Guinea | Agathe Sarfati | Operations management, implementation, policy, sustained peace | The twin resolutions on peacebuilding and sustaining peace adopted by the General Assembly and Security Council in 2016 made a breakthrough in the UN’s conception of peacebuilding. Significant work has since been undertaken to reconfigure the UN system to work toward the implementation of these resolutions, and the UN Peacebuilding Commission has launched a comprehensive review of the peacebuilding architecture to be completed in 2020. To inform this review, this issue brief synthesizes findings related to the operationalization of the peacebuilding and sustaining peace resolutions at the country level. The paper concludes that much of the focus to date has been on improving the effectiveness of how the UN delivers its mandates on peacebuilding and sustaining peace. To fully realize the vision of the sustaining peace agenda, its operationalization must increasingly focus on the impact of these efforts. This requires questioning and testing the theory of change underpinning these operational reforms to ensure the UN is effectively helping societies build the foundation for sustaining peace. | https://www.ipinst.org/2020/06/operationalizing-sustaining-peace-agenda-burkina-faso-liberia-papua-new-guinea | Liberia |
| Safe Havens Amidst the Jihadist Storm: How Leaders Spare Some Regions from Terrorist Violence in the Sahel | Mathieu Bere | Conflict Prevention, Locally-led Peacemaking: Youth-led, Locally-led Peacemaking: Interreligious | This study identifies what has helped the people of Amataltal in Niger and Dori in Burkina Faso maintain a relatively satisfactory level of peace and security amidst the jihadist storm that has been sweeping across the Sahara-Sahel region since 2011. To that end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 key local actors selected through purposeful sampling techniques, with the help of local partner organizations, in Amataltal, Agadez, and Niamey in Niger, and Dori in Burkina Faso during the summer of 2021. The respondents were from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, including men, women, and youth leaders. One of the major findings is that the relative peace and security enjoyed by Dori, Amataltal, and the larger Agadez region resulted from a set of initiatives taken by local actors who understood that peace cannot be obtained only through military means, but also requires local solutions, involving local leaders and the whole population, to satisfactorily address security, development, and governance issues. The peace activism of local leaders, the commitment of the population to peace and social cohesion, the establishment of local infrastructures for peace (especially local peace committees), the vocational training and provision of economic opportunities to youth, and a more visible, positive presence of the government, have made a critical difference in terms of peace and security between Dori, Amataltal, and Agadez, and other localities affected by jihadist terrorism in Niger and Burkina Faso. There have been some significant obstacles and challenges: the lack of adequate financial and logistical resources to conduct their activities; difficulties of communicating, traveling, and mobilizing people; and the difficult relationships that local civil society actors and international partners often had with government officials whenever they took a critical stance. This study calls attention to the fact that local people are not only recipients of peacebuilding. They are, and can be, change agents and key actors for violence prevention and peacebuilding in their societies. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12982?show=full | Niger |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In Guinea-Bissau | Elliot Short | Governance: Transition, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Mediation | A diplomatic intervention led by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the deployment of the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau helped to prevent armed conflict in Guinea-Bissau in 2012. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-guinea-bissau/ | Guinea-Bissau |
| Mitigating The Impact Of Armed Conflict In Democratic Republic Of Congo (Butembo) | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking: Interreligious, Private Sector and Peacebuilding, Food Insecurity | The city of Butembo and its population was spared from much of the fighting that took place across the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1999-2003 thanks to the efforts of local people and organisations. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/mitigating-the-impact-of-armed-conflict-in-democratic-republic-of-congo-butembo/ | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Advancing Reconciliation and Promoting Peace in Northern Mali (ARPP) | Mercy Corps | Mediation, Early Warning, Conflict Resolution | This report showcases evidence of project effectiveness in reducing youth involvement in violence, building mediation capacity to resolve conflicts, and building locally driven early warning systems in Mali. | https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5db70e83fc0a966cf4cc42ea/t/5f4920167f5bd244a3cb628a/1598627863401/1396.pdf | Mali |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Côte D’ivoire | Elliot Short | Civil War, Ceasefire, Peacekeeping | A series of international peacekeeping missions helped to contain the conflict in Côte d’Ivoire until a French/UN 2011 military intervention definitively ended the conflict. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-cote-divoire/ | Cote D'Ivoire |
| Preventing Armed Conflict in Ghana | Elliot Short | Elections, Citizen Action, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives | Ghanaian people and organisations worked alongside the government and security services to ensure that the 2008 elections did not spark an armed conflict in Ghana. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-ghana/ | Ghana |
| Keeping The Peace And Building Stability In Namibia | Elliot Short | Governance: Constitutions, Elections, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR) | The United Nations Transition Assistance Group helped to ensure that the withdrawal of South African troops and broader post-conflict transition of the newly independent Namibian state was peaceful. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/keeping-the-peace-and-building-stability-in-namibia/ | Namimbia |
| If Victims Become Perpetrators: Factors Contributing to Vulnerability and Resilience to Violent Extremism in the Central Sahel | Luca Raineri | Violent extremism, Central Sahel | This study focuses on young Fulani people in the regions of Mopti (Mali), Sahel (Burkina Faso) and Tillabéri (Niger), and analyses the factors contributing to community vulnerability or resilience to violent extremism. One of the key findings of this research is the assertion that violent extremism in the central Sahel is primarily a response to local conflicts, and that the link with international jihadism is more rhetoric than reality. This study shows that the most determining factor contributing to vulnerability or resilience to violent extremism is the experience (or perception) of abuse and violation by government authorities. On the other hand, the study shows that strengthening social cohesion, supporting young men’s and women’s role in their communities, and mitigating social and gender exclusion could strengthen community resilience. The research also identifies strategies to deploy to curb violent extremism in the central Sahel. To restore trust between marginalised citizens and their governments, international partners need to prioritise efforts aimed at supporting state accountability towards its citizens; improve access to justice, especially transitional justice, and ensure inclusive governance; improve supervision of the armed forces; and promote youth employment, including through migration. | https://www.international-alert.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sahel-Violent-Extremism-Vulnerability-Resilience-EN-2018.pdf | Burkina Faso |
| Preventing Armed Conflict in Madagascar | Elliot Short | Governance: Power Sharing, Peace Processes: Implementation, Elections | A political crisis which verged on the brink of sparking a civil war in Madagascar was prevented from escalating by an effective international diplomatic intervention and the mediation of a peace agreement by the Southern African Development Community. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-madagascar/ | Madagascar |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Ethiopia (Somali Region) | Elliot Short | Governance: Power Sharing, Mediation, Facilitation | The long-running armed conflict in the Somali Region of Ethiopia was ended by a peace agreement mediated with support from Conciliation Resources. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-ethiopia-somali-region/ | Ethiopia |
| Preventing A Conflict Relapse In Mozambique | Elliot Short | Elections, Peace Agreement, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR) | The United Nations Operations in Mozambique helped to maintain peace and stability in extremely adverse conditions in post-war Mozambique. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-a-conflict-relapse-in-mozambique/ | Mozambique |
| Preventing Armed Conflict in Lesotho | Elliot Short | Dialogue, Peacekeeping, Elections | The Southern African Development Committee Preventive Mission in Lesotho helped to maintain stability during a period of severe political crisis in Lesotho, preventing an armed conflict from erupting in 2017. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-lesotho/ | Lesotho |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Senegal (Casamance) | Elliot Short | Mediation, Peace Processes: Implementation, Armed Non-State Actors | Although a final settlement to the conflict is yet to be negotiated, ongoing negotiations hosted by organisations such as the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the Community of Sant’Egidio have helped to strengthen a 2014 ceasefire and end the fighting in the Casamance region of Senegal. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-senegal-casamance/ | Senegal |
| Reducing Armed Conflict In The Horn Of Africa With Peace Infrastructure | Elliot Short | Early Warning, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization, Conflict Prevention | The Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism established by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development has used data, technology, and a decentralised network of people and organisations to build an effective early warning system that has demonstrably reduced armed conflict across the Horn of Africa. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-in-the-horn-of-africa-with-peace-infrastructure/ | Horn of Africa |
| Reconciliation For Peace In South Sudan | USAID | Reconciliation, Locally-led Peacemaking: Interreligious, Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DM&E) | Reconciliation for Peace in South Sudan (RfPSS) aimed to support the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) and its ecumenical partners in addressing communal conflicts and maintaining peace through reconciliation activities, while also strengthening grassroots constituencies and faith-based structures connected to the SSCC to undertake peacebuilding and reconciliation activities. The geographic focus of the project covered the former Lakes, Jonglei and Western Equatoria states, as well as Juba County. The goal of the project was to build a more peaceful, prosperous and reconciled South Sudan, based on inclusive citizen engagement at all levels, attention to past wrongs and the implementation of a just and comprehensive peace accord. While the project recorded some achievements, particularly around increasing organizational coherence and formalizing systems within the SSCC, several key challenges negatively affect the overall impact. In particular, the evaluation highlights weaknesses with local ownership and the quality of the partnership between Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the SSCC; problems with attribution and overlap in terms of RfPSS and other donor-funded initiatives in operation; flaws in the design logic and project assumptions; and an absence of coherent approaches to government engagement. | https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TNMW.pdf | South Sudan |
| Nigeria's State Peacebuilding Institutions: Early Success and Continuing Challenges | Darren Kew | Local Peace Initiatives, Land Tenure, Dialogue, Mediation, Early Warning | This report examines the progress of peace agencies or commissions in three Nigerian states since 2016. It finds that their convening powers and civil society networks offer important opportunities for fostering peace, as does their ability to support the peace architecture of local governments. Over the past five years, three states in Nigeria’s Middle Belt— Plateau, Kaduna, and Adamawa— have created peace agencies or commissions that are tasked with addressing long-standing ethno-religious and other divisions in their host states through direct mediation and other peace interventions; building early warning and early response systems for local conflicts; and, in conjunction with local governments and traditional institutions, developing grassroots conflict resolution infrastructure such as mediation and restorative justice units and processes. All three institutions possess important convening powers to initiate dialogue and larger peace processes. Although the young institutions have faced difficult challenges, they have nonetheless exhibited early promise for stemming violence and insecurity across Nigeria, and their experiences provide important lessons for other states considering similar institutions. Based on more than fifty interviews conducted between 2018 and 2021, the report was supported by the Africa Center at the United States Institute of Peace and the Bureau for Conflict Stabilization Operations at the US Department of State. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12719 | Nigeria |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In Burkina Faso | Elliot Short | Citizen Action, Governance: Transition, Mediation | Preventive diplomacy by the African Union and locally led mediation efforts helped to prevent a war in Burkina Faso following a military coup d’état. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-burkina-faso/ | Burkina Faso |
| Crisis in Mali: Root Causes and Long-Term Solutions | Hannah Armstrong | Governance: Power Sharing, Violent Extremism | After a downfall into statelessness and a loss of control of two-thirds of the territory in 2012, Mali has been in the process of recovery since the French-led intervention. There has been a national consensus that decentralization is the key to enhancing the political power of marginalized localities and improving security in the high-risk northern zone. Decentralization is a long-term strategy that furthers political agency, benefiting both the government and the local collectives, including the northern regions. The strategy’s development and the restoration of legitimate state leadership can protect the fragile state against destabilizing blowback. Yet, it is essential to understand and address the root causes in order to achieve solutions for the long term. For instance, the international focus on counterterrorism and regime change in Mali risks obscuring the long-term political root causes of the current crisis. Peacebuilding efforts must be carefully considered, not only due to the instability and challenges but also because of the increasing politicization of ethnic divisions that might be examined by looking at the root causes. | https://www.usip.org/publications/2013/05/crisis-mali-root-causes-and-long-term-solutions | Mali |
| "Liberians for Liberians": A Locally-Led Ebola Campaign in Liberia | Stacey L. Connaughton, Kai Kuang, Liliya Yakova, Arunima Krishna, Jasmine Linabary, Grace Yeanay Mayson | Public health, Ebola, local community activism | The Pen-Pen Peace Network, a local peace committee in Liberia, has been fighting the Ebola outbreak with its own Ebola Campaign, with the assistance and encouragement of the Purdue Peace Project (PPP), USA, and the Women Movement for Sustainable Develop-ment-Liberia (WOMSUD). This report summarizes and highlights the work that these local Liberians have done to date and the pre-liminary findings that have emerged from systematic data collec-tion of their work. | https://cla.purdue.edu/ppp/documents/publications/Liberians.pdf | Liberia |
| Towards full spectrum conflict prevention: the international peace and prosperity project in Guinea-Bissau | Evan Hoffman | Conflict Prevention and Early Warning, Failed States | The author analyzes the results of a pilot project (2004 – 2009) focused on conflict prevention and early warning in Guinea Bissau by the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation. Guinea Bissau was considered at risk of violent armed and as a result an early warning and crisis management process was initiated. The article focuses on the results and lessons learned of that process. The stages of the process—crisis management, violence prevention, and the development of a National Plan of Action for Peace and Prosperity in Guinea Bissau—are analyzed within the context of a failing state. In addition, the article explores to what degree, over five years, an outside-driven effort to prevent political violence was effective. While the project was never able to reach the ambitious and robust goal of political conflict being resolved nonviolently, there were many small successes along the way that can be learned from, including building trust and meeting local needs, local project leadership, and integrated efforts. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12711 | Guinea-Bissau |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In São Tomé And Príncipe | Elliot Short | Rule of Law, Governance: Reforms, Preventive Diplomacy | Constitutional order was peacefully restored in São Tomé and Príncipe thanks to the mediation efforts of a host of national governments and international organisations. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-sao-tome-and-principe/ | São Tomé and Príncipe |
| Preventing Armed Conflict In Kenya | Elliot Short | Reconciliation, Elections, Citizen Action | Electoral violence in Kenya was prevented from escalating into armed conflict by the efforts of local people and organisations and the African Union’s Panel of Eminent Personalities, which led the talks which produced the National Accord and Reconciliation Act | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-kenya/ | Kenya |
| National Election Response Groups as infrastructures for peace | Reuben J.B. Lewis | election violence, state-building, locally-led | In West Africa, National Elections Response Groups (NERGs) are being developed as response structures to mitigate election-related conflict, and their operationalisation is proving to be successful in a number of countries that have held elections – including, most recently, in Sierra Leone. NERGs are designed as infrastructures for peace, and serve as platforms for peaceful dialogue and shuttle diplomacy with political parties during national elections. NERGs also respond to incidences of harassment, intimidation and violence; work towards keeping communities calm and organised; and engage with all political groups to keep the peace. This article discusses the development and operationalisation of NERGs as an infrastructure for peace during recent elections in some West African countries. | https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/national-election-response-groups-as-infrastructures-for-peace/ | Sierra Leone |
| Assessing International Statebuilding Initiative Effectiveness at Preventing Armed Conflict Recurrence | Elliot Short | Statebuilding | The practice of statebuilding is employed by a broad spectrum of multilateral organisations and national governments as a tool to stabilise fragile states, including those that are recovering from conflict. However, much of the existing literature focuses on weighing up the ethical arguments concerning statebuilding rather than analysing its impact on the societies in which it takes place. This assessment combines data from Fund for Peace’s Fragile States Index, financial data harvested from relevant publicly available databases, and an extensive survey of the academic and policy literature to examine whether statebuilding is an effective means of preventing post-conflict states from relapsing into war. By exploring the cases of Burundi, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nepal, it demonstrates that although statebuilding can help to achieve this goal, certain conditions and methods are required for it to be effective. When such conditions and methods are absent, donors’ resources are employed to build regimes rather than states and leave the recipient country at risk of returning to conflict. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12168 | Burundi |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Comoros | Elliot Short | Governance: Power Sharing, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization, Peace Agreement | The Organisation of African Unity-led diplomatic intervention helped to end the armed conflict in Comoros after several rounds of talks culminated with the creation of a federal Comorian state. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-comoros/ | Comoros |
| Malian Women’s Participation in the Algiers Negotiations | Jenny Lorentzen | Negotiations, Gender, Peace Process | This FAIR case brief focuses on Malian women's participation in the Algiers negotiations in 2014–2015. It shows how there were stark differences in perceptions of fairness when it came to women's participation among the different actors involved, including relatively strong resistance to women's participation from the international mediation team and the conflict parties in Algiers. Women activists, on the other hand, considered their exclusion and the resistance they faced as deeply unfair. They voiced their concerns through national and international campaigns, and sought support from international partners such as the UN, EU, bilateral partners, and individuals in positions of power. Even though exclusion dominated the Malian negotiations, the perceptions of this as unfair resonated enough with relevant audiences for the actors to enter into limited negotiations and adaptations with regards to how women should participate (at the table, through civil society hearings, from a distance), when women should participate (during negotiations or in the reconciliation), and which women should participate (civil society representatives or members of negotiation teams). | https://www.prio.org/publications/12903 | Mali |
| Stopping The Armed Conflict In Angola For Five Years | Elliot Short | Elections, Governance: Power Sharing, Monitoring/Verification: Third Party | The fighting in Angola was significantly reduced for approximately five years thanks to the mediation efforts of the UN and the governments of Portugal and USA. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/stopping-the-armed-conflict-in-angola-for-five-years/ | Angola |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Democratic Republic Of Congo (North Kivu – M23) | Elliot Short | Armed Non-State Actors, Negotiations, Peacekeeping | The armed conflict in North Kivu between the Congolese government and the M23 armed group was ended by the deployment of a peacekeeping mission, regional diplomacy, and a peace agreement. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-democratic-republic-of-congo-north-kivu-m23/ | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Reducing Armed Conflict Across Kenya | Elliot Short | Citizen Action, Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Peace Agreement | The development of an effective peace infrastructure helped to reduce armed conflict across Kenya and limit the risk of electoral violence. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/reducing-armed-conflict-across-kenya/ | Kenya |
| Youth and NonViolence in Guinea | Frances Fortune, Quentin Kanyatsi | Project Evaluation, Mediation, Peacemaking, Youth, Conflict Prevention | This evaluation report provides useful information about the intervention in Guinea with clear metrics as to how the project has helped improve the mediation skills of the Youth population and led to better mediation and reduction in violence. There is a particular focus on elections for this project that can offer generalizable knowledge that can be applied to other cases where there is a risk of violence surrounding elections. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12780 | Guinea |
| Preventing Armed Conflict in Malawi | Elliot Short | Dialogue, Facilitation, Preventive Diplomacy | A timely diplomatic intervention by the UN helped to prevent an ongoing political crisis in Malawi from escalating into armed conflict in 2011. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-in-malawi/ | Malawi |
| Ending the Armed Conflict in Mozambique | Elliot Short | Mediation, Peacemaking | Negotiations hosted by the Community of Sant’Egidio in Rome concluded with the signing of the General Peace Agreement, which ended the armed conflict in Mozambique after three decades of near-continuous war. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-mozambique/ | Mozambique |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In South Sudan | Elliot Short | Governance: Power Sharing, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization, Peace Agreement | The mediation efforts of a wide range of international actors and the protestations of the Pope helped to end the armed conflict in South Sudan in 2018. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-south-sudan/ | South Sudan |
| Together We Can: Supporting Local Peace Efforts in Magwi County | Adalei Broers, Amzah Juma | Project Evaluation, Mediation | This report offers approaches to conducting conflict mapping exercises and engages local partners and local communities to resolve conflict and to intervene in case of an event to reduce tensions. The report focuses on conflict mediation efforts in between two tribal groups in South Sudan: The Madi, and the Acholi. The report highlights the importance of unifiers in bringing communities together and finding common ground that can help foster peace and stability. In particular, the report showcases the crucial role that religious leaders can play in peace processes. Critically, the report notes the pressures on Women in those communities and the pivotal role they play in their communities and in the peace processes. | https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/12764 | South Sudan |
| Preventing A Conflict Relapse In Comoros | Elliot Short | Elections, Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organizationm, Dialogue | Ongoing negotiations and the deployment of Organisation of African Unity/African Union observer missions and a military operation helped to ensure that Comoros did not experience a conflict relapse. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-a-conflict-relapse-in-comoros/ | Comoros |
| Resolving The Militarised Territorial Dispute Between Djibouti And Eritrea | Elliot Short | Preventive Diplomacy, Ratification: Peace Agreement, Sanctions | The militarised territorial dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea was prevented from escalating in 2017 by the timely diplomatic intervention of the African Union and was ultimately resolved after the Government of Saudi Arabia mediated a peace agreement. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/resolving-the-militarised-territorial-dispute-between-djibouti-and-eritrea/ | Djibouti, Eritrea |
| From Conflict to Coping: Evidence from Southern Ethiopia on the contributions of peacebuilding to drought resilience among pastoralist groups | Jon Kurtz, Greg Scarborough | Conflict Resolution, Project Evaluation | This evaluation report assess the impact of Mercy Corps peaebuilding programs in Southern Ethiopia. In particular, the evaluation reports looks at the effects of the Strengthening Institutions for Peace and Development (SIPED) project | https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5db70e83fc0a966cf4cc42ea/t/5f3d8d985b5b1a594513029e/1597869466741/0595.pdf | Ethiopia |
| Containing the armed conflict between South Sudan and Sudan (Abyei) | Elliot Short | Mediation, Peacekeeping | A UN peacekeeping mission has helped to prevent renewed armed conflict in the contested area of Abyei for a decade. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/containing-the-armed-conflict-between-south-sudan-and-sudan-abyei/ | Sudan |
| Preventing A Conflict Relapse In Kenya (Wajir) | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Citizen action, Dialogue, | Conflict relapses in Wajir County were prevented and armed conflict in the area has been significantly reduced thanks to the maintenance of a peace infrastructure. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-a-conflict-relapse-in-kenya-wajir/ | Kenya |
| Stopping The Armed Conflict In The Central African Republic For Four Years | Elliot Short | Monitoring/Verification: United Nations, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Ratification: Peace Agreement | The conflict in the Central African Republic was stopped for four years by a diplomatic intervention by regional governments and the deployment of a monitoring mission followed by a UN peacekeeping mission | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/stopping-the-armed-conflict-in-the-central-african-republic-for-four-years/ | Central African Republic |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Democratic Republic Of Congo | Elliot Short | Monitoring/Verification: Regional Organization, Ratification: Peace Agreement, Armed Non-State Actors | The Second Congo War (1998-2003) was ended by negotiations hosted by the South African government and the deployment of UN peacekeepers | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-democratic-republic-of-congo/ | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Local infrastructures for peace in Guinea-Bissau: The contribution of the Regional Spaces for Dialogue to peacebuilding | Inter-Peace | Communications: Public Relations, dialogue, citizen action | In 2007, Interpeace and its partner, the national NGO, Voz di Paz (Voice of Peace), established 10 permanent dialogue groups all over the country. By assisting the population in conflict management, these Regional Spaces for Dialogue (RSDs) made a critical contribution to peacebuilding in Guinea-Bissau. Since 2011, they have resolved more than 200 local conflicts by using dialogue as a tool for the peaceful management of conflict related to insecurity, bad governance, religion and violence against women, among other issues. This power to convene such gatherings can be explained by the respect and legitimacy conferred on the local personalities who constitute these RSDs. While rooted in local realities, at the same time, the RSDs represent a community of craftspeople of peace at the national level. Their members have a sense of full ownership of their mission and RSDs objectives. Together, they pursue their engagement with dedication and demonstrate their determination to support, in the long term, their country’s journey to stability and non-violence. | https://www.interpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015_11_25_Local_Infrastructures_for_Peace_in_Guinea-Bissau.pdf | Guinea-Bissau |
| Organized Crime in Mali: Why it Matters for a Peaceful Transition from Conflict | Luca Raineri, Chiara Galletti | Organized crime, institutional fragility | Inadequate governance, institutional fragility and widespread insecurity are both consequences and causes of the expansion of criminal activities. The impact of their proliferation is key to understanding the current – and endemic – instability affecting Mali. Yet, to date, there is little indication that policy strategies put forward by the Malian government, as well as by its international partners, are learning from the past to engage with the issue of organised crime as a threat to peace and security. This policy brief aims to help address this gap. Understanding how crime impacts on the achievement of development goals, on conflict risks, and on mounting fragility and safety threats is indeed crucial for building long-lasting and sustainable peace in Mali. | https://www.international-alert.org/publications/organised-crime-mali/ | Mali |
| Preventing Armed Conflict On The Ethiopia-Somalia Border | Elliot Short | Natural Resources and Conflict, Land Tenure, Reparations | The Government of Puntland ended the pervasive armed conflict on the Ethiopia/Somalia border, minimising the risk of an interstate conflict in future. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-armed-conflict-on-the-ethiopia-somalia-border/ | Ethiopia, Somalia |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Ghana (Northern Region) | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Monitoring/Verification: Local, Economics and Conflict | The Guinea Fowl War in the Northern Region of Ghana was ended by the deployment of troops and the mediation of a peace agreement. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-ghana-northern-region/ | Ghana |
| Preventing A Conflict Relapse In South Sudan | Elliot Short | Peace Agreement, Governance: Transition. Mediation | The IGAD has successfully prevented a conflict relapse in South Sudan by employing a range of monitoring mechanisms and facilitating ongoing dialogue between former belligerents. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/preventing-a-conflict-relapse-in-south-sudan/ | South Sudan |
| Contributing to People's Safety and Peace in Cueibet, South Sudan | Safeworld | Intra-communal conflict | In this brief Safer World provides a context update about the current situation in Cueibet –a county in Lakes state in South Sudan. They present safety and security challenges identified by communities, authorities and civil society for all levels of government, and national/international organisations to consider. They also provide recommendations for how best to address the challenges identified such as the easy availability of weapons, cattle raiding, weak justice systems and a lack of security services to turn to. | https://www.saferworld.org.uk/resources/publications/1334-contributing-to-peopleas-safety-and-peace-in-cueibet-south-sudan | South Sudan |
| If Victims Become Perpetrators: Factors Contributing to Vulnerability and Resilience to Violent Extremism in the Central Sahel | Luca Raineri | Violent extremism, Central Sahel | This study focuses on young Fulani people in the regions of Mopti (Mali), Sahel (Burkina Faso) and Tillabéri (Niger), and analyses the factors contributing to community vulnerability or resilience to violent extremism. One of the key findings of this research is the assertion that violent extremism in the central Sahel is primarily a response to local conflicts, and that the link with international jihadism is more rhetoric than reality. This study shows that the most determining factor contributing to vulnerability or resilience to violent extremism is the experience (or perception) of abuse and violation by government authorities. On the other hand, the study shows that strengthening social cohesion, supporting young men’s and women’s role in their communities, and mitigating social and gender exclusion could strengthen community resilience. The research also identifies strategies to deploy to curb violent extremism in the central Sahel. To restore trust between marginalised citizens and their governments, international partners need to prioritise efforts aimed at supporting state accountability towards its citizens; improve access to justice, especially transitional justice, and ensure inclusive governance; improve supervision of the armed forces; and promote youth employment, including through migration. | https://www.international-alert.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sahel-Violent-Extremism-Vulnerability-Resilience-EN-2018.pdf | Niger |
| Operationalizing the Sustaining Peace Agenda: Lessons from Burkina Faso, Liberia, and Papua New Guinea | Agathe Sarfati | Operations management, implementation, policy, sustained peace | The twin resolutions on peacebuilding and sustaining peace adopted by the General Assembly and Security Council in 2016 made a breakthrough in the UN’s conception of peacebuilding. Significant work has since been undertaken to reconfigure the UN system to work toward the implementation of these resolutions, and the UN Peacebuilding Commission has launched a comprehensive review of the peacebuilding architecture to be completed in 2020. To inform this review, this issue brief synthesizes findings related to the operationalization of the peacebuilding and sustaining peace resolutions at the country level. The paper concludes that much of the focus to date has been on improving the effectiveness of how the UN delivers its mandates on peacebuilding and sustaining peace. To fully realize the vision of the sustaining peace agenda, its operationalization must increasingly focus on the impact of these efforts. This requires questioning and testing the theory of change underpinning these operational reforms to ensure the UN is effectively helping societies build the foundation for sustaining peace. | https://www.ipinst.org/2020/06/operationalizing-sustaining-peace-agenda-burkina-faso-liberia-papua-new-guinea | Burkina Faso |
| ENSURING CONFLICT SENSITIVITY IN PROMOTING THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES | Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization | Conflict prevention, indigenous rights, integration. | The real or perceived inequitable distribution of aid can increase tensions among neighboring communities, governments, or private industries. The PRO-IP Policy highlights examples of conflict and violence sparked by development actors’ inappropriate engagements with Indigenous Peoples. These conflicts feature insecure land tenure rights and natural resource management, displacement, exploitative or unsupportive actions of private industry and local government, legal marginalization, political violence, and well-intentioned, but potentially harmful, donor-funded initiatives. | https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Conflict-Sensitivity-in-PRO-IP-Technical-Guidance.pdf | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Stopping The Armed Conflict In Somalia (Mudug) | Elliot Short | Locally-led Peacemaking Initiatives, Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration (DDR), Monitoring/Verification: Local | The peace agreement ended the fighting in the central province of Mudug, reducing armed conflict in the area and allowing supplies to cross Somalia, mitigating the impact of other conflicts. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/stopping-the-armed-conflict-in-somalia-mudug/ | Somalia |
| Ending The Armed Conflict In Niger | Elliot Short | Climate and Conflict, Armed Non-State Actors, Governance: Reforms | The 1991-1997 Tuareg rebellion in Niger was ended by a series of peace agreements, heralding a decade of relative peace in the country. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-armed-conflict-in-niger/ | Niger |
| Ending The Interstate Conflict Between Eritrea And Ethiopia | Elliot Short | Monitoring/Verification: United Nations, Dialogue, Peacekeeping | The war between Eritrea and Ethiopia was ended by mediation efforts led by the Organisation of African Unity during negotiations held in Algeria and the deployment of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) to the region. | https://bep.carterschool.gmu.edu/ending-the-interstate-conflict-between-eritrea-and-ethiopia/ | Ethiopia |