On 28 March 2013, ACCORD hosted a high-level delegation of African officials, led by the African Union Chairperson H.E. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, at ACCORD House in Durban, South Africa. The delegation comprised of the African Union (AU) Commission, the Executive-Secretaries of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the members of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) Secretariat.
As a member institution of the African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA), The Training for Peace in Africa Programme at ACCORD (TfP/ACCORD) has participated in the APSTA Training and Research Colloquium. The Colloquium aims to outline a mutually agreed framework on how best to address the needs of the general APSTA membership in their quest to fulfil their mandates in providing training and research for Peace Support Operations (PSOs), linked to the requirements for the operationalization of the African Standby Force (ASF).
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is one of the deadliest insurgent movements to operate in Africa; both in terms of longevity, as well as the large-scale humanitarian upheavals it has caused. The LRA rebellion began in Uganda in 1986 and has grown to become a regional problem that has moved beyond the source to engulf the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. This has obliged regional leaders, as well as the international community, to cooperate better as they jointly seek to eliminate the LRA's threat to regional peace and security.
ACCORD recently published a Conference Paper titled 'Peace processes in Côte d'Ivoire: Democracy and challenges of consolidating peace after the post-electoral crisis' authored by Dr Doudou Sidibé. In this paper, Sidibé examines the reasons – other than former President Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to relinquish power – why the 2010 presidential elections led to violent conflict which resulted in the deaths of civilians.
ACCORD, in collaboration with the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) Debating Union, has hosted a debate in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), on the topic 'Since the inception of the APRM, there has been significant improvement in the standards of governance in member states'. The APRM has proposed that civil society organisations in all member states host events to significantly increase public awareness of the APRM and its contributions to the African continent.
Like many other countries ravaged by war, Liberia has experienced challenges with developing and maintaining effective security and justice systems since the end of the 14-year civil war. The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) recently published a Policy & Practice Brief (PPB) which analyses the justice and security sector in the West African country. Co-authored by ACCORD's Abu Sherif and Independent Researcher Dr Grace Maina, the PPB titled 'Enhancing security and justice in Liberia: The regional hub model' analyses the efforts of the Government of Liberia and members of the international community post-war to ensure sustainable peacebuilding and security sector reform in Liberia.
ACCORD has participated in, and contributed to, a dialogue on the role of the Malagasy armed forces in a state of crisis, organised by the Madagascar Military School in Antsirabe. The reflection session focused on the long lasting political crisis in that country, since 2009, and brought together local and international civil society, the international community as well as local think tanks and high level civilian and military officials, to discuss and reflect on the role of the defence in a situation of crisis.
The g7+ group of countries was formed with the objective of creating a mechanism to monitor, report and draw attention to the unique challenges faced by fragile states. The g7+ was created to work in concert with international actors, the private sector, civil society, the media, governments and the people across borders and regions to reform and reinvent a new paradigm for international engagement in peacebuilding and statebuilding.
South Africa will be hosting the fifth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) from the 26 to 27 March, 2013. Leading up to this event, there has been a series of forums that have preceded this conference, including the BRICS Academic Forum that took place in Durban from the 11-13 March, 2013. In the context of these events, the Peacebuilding Unit hosted a seminar on the 14-15 March 2013 at ACCORD House, Durban, South Africa.
ACCORD Pedacekeeping and Peacebuilding Advisor, Cedric de Coning, her recently published an article in Stability: International Journal of Security & Development, entitled "Understanding Peacebuilding as Essentially Local".
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), operating under the auspices of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), is celebrating its tenth anniversary. The APRM has consistently charted the progress, challenges and opportunities African countries face in promoting democratic consolidation, good governance and socio-economic development. In its tenth year, it is self-reflecting on the milestones it has achieved, the challenges inherent, and the opportunities ahead.
