ACCORD has adapted to the new COVID-19 reality, refocusing and restructuring a significant proportion of its staff and its effort on identifying & monitoring, tracking &, analysing, and preparing & responding to COVID-19 related social-unrest and violent conflict in Africa.
Through our networks across Africa, and supported by available online data, ACCORD identifies COVID-19 related incidents and trends that may provide early warning of rising tensions that could develop into social unrest and violent conflict. Once the incidents are captured in the dataset, ACCORD analyses the trends and publishes a weekly COVID-19 Africa Conflict and Resilience Monitor, in order to share the information and analysis with all stakeholders.
ACCORD then works with its in-country networks and other local, regional, continental and international partners and stakeholders, to encourage and support interventions aimed at mitigating, and where possible preventing, COVID-19 related social unrest and violent conflict.
In this edition of the Monitor, ACCORD’s Founder and Executive Director, Vasu Gounden, reflects on the changes to the conflict landscape in Africa over the past 30 years. Amongst others, he identifies a shift from peace through dialogue, to peace through strength, and he considers ways in which mediation in Africa needs to evolve to meet the current challenges facing the continent.
This is followed by an article from Francis Deng and Issameldin Abbas Ahmed about the peace process in Sudan. In particular, their article focusses on the various mediation efforts and makes an argument for a coordinated approach that aligns bilateral, regional, multilateral and international efforts. This will help to ensure that peace efforts are complementary and as effective as possible.
Staying in the Horn of Africa, Hilina Berhanu Degefa and Emebet Getachew Abate have contributed an article about the upcoming elections in Ethiopia, taking place on 1 June. In their article, they discuss the current mood in the country, as many people face security challenges and a sense of isolation from the political process. Challenges also exist concerning the blurring of lines between party and state, and the role that opposition parties play in Ethiopia’s political climate.
Abraham Ename Minko’s article is about the contradictions of artificial intelligence (AI) in conflict situations in Africa, and Sudan in particular. While AI has the ability to help monitor conflicts and humanitarian situations, warring parties can also use it to carry out attacks. The article discusses the need for the African Union to develop approaches on how to deal with AI in conflict contexts, and ensure that existing frameworks adapt to this new conflict reality.
Finally, Junhee Seo’s article is about the challenges that girl refugees face in accessing the internet and mobile phones. Women and girls in refugee situations often face more barriers to internet access than men and boys, which in turn affects their access to important information and job seeking opportunities.
Today we must ask honestly whether the conflict landscape has changed faster than our mediation architecture
The Sudan crisis has witnessed an unprecedented proliferation and overlap of regional and international initiatives aimed at halting the fighting
Ethiopia’s seventh general election is scheduled for 1 June 2026, yet beneath procedural preparations lies a political and security landscape that remains deeply complex
If you are able to share information from your experiences on the ground with the crisis in Africa, we'd really like to hear from you. Please get in touch!
