Issue No: 23/2020

COVID-19 Conflict & Resilience Monitor – 23 September 2020

The Conflict and Resilience Monitor offers monthly blog-size commentary and analysis on the latest conflict-related trends in Africa.

Photo: Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Photo: Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Our feature article in this week’s Monitor is by Nicholas Haysom, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Sudan, who writes about the impact of COVID-19 on the political transition in Sudan and the UN’s efforts to remain engaged in the process, in spite of the pandemic.

Daniel Forti continues our focus on Sudan by considering the effect of COVID-19 on the drawdown of the AU-UN hybrid mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and the start-up of the new UN Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission for Sudan (UNITAMS). Building on last week’s special edition on the Sahel, Fiifi Edu-Afful reflects on how violent extremist groups in the Sahel have used the COVID-19 period to reorganise themselves, and Nana Alassane Toure argues that despite the various governance woes of Mali, the special needs of young women must be given priority.

Chief Editor: Conflict & Resilience Monitor​
Managing Editor: Conflict & Resilience Monitor
Photo: Amin Ismail/UNAMID
Photo: Amin Ismail/UNAMID
COVID-19, Political Unrest or Violence

Young women must be included in Malian youth policies and programmes

Since independence, the Republic of Mali has been faced with situations of political, institutional and security instability. Although the state of governance in Mali is weak and fragile, and is now under further pressure from COVID-19, it has adopted several policies and programmes to advance the youth and engage in the future development of the country. However, these initiatives do not address the specific needs of young women.

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ACCORD COVID-19 Conflict & Resilience Monitor
Reference: UNAMID
COVID-19, Political Unrest or Violence

How COVID-19 has impacted the UN peacekeeping transition in Sudan

More than one year after the signing of the landmark Constitutional Declaration, Sudan’s ongoing transition remains one of the most important political transformations on the African continent. The country’s transition is fluid and complex, and undeniable areas of progress and reform continue to come up against deeply entrenched interests and inequalities, which have been compounded by COVID-19.

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Photo: Michele Cattani/AFP via Getty Images
Photo: Michele Cattani/AFP via Getty Images
COVID-19, Political Unrest or Violence

COVID-19 exacerbates the risk of violent extremism in the Sahel and West Africa

Long before the arrival of COVID-19, the Sahel and West Africa were two particular regions in Africa that were confronted by many complex and interrelated security and humanitarian challenges. From violent conflict to famine and other humanitarian difficulties, the spread of COVID-19 is magnifying the threats to the region’s most vulnerable populations. Arguably, the most challenging of these issues are the toxic atmosphere and insecurity created as a result of the activities of armed violent extremist groups.

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ACCORD COVID-19 Conflict & Resilience Monitor
COVID-19

Sudan and COVID-19: the timing of the pandemic was especially cruel

Following the remarkable changes brought on by the peaceful revolution in Sudan in 2019, 2020 was set to be a year during which the country could make great strides in delivering on the aspirations of the Sudanese people for change after 30 years of autocratic rule. The sudden arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic thus fell cruelly at a critical moment, with the country having just embarked on its make-or-break transition towards a civilian-led democracy.

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