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 month’s monitor, we feature a piece by Olumide Abimbola Ajayi on ‘Women and Gender Parity Trends in Africa’ which provides an important reflection of how African states have fared in achieving gender parity. Our second piece is authored by Zekarias Beshah Abebe and discusses ‘The role of the African Union (AU) in the Mediation Process in Ethiopia’ and offers recommendations on how the AU can make the mediation process more effective.
Gustavo de Carvalho and Laura Rubidge have also contributed a piece on, ‘Global geopolitical competition hits Africa: Can it maintain its voice?’ which discusses the implications and opportunities linked to the recent high-level visits to Africa. In keeping with the discussion of the impact of international politics on the continent, Craig Moffat looks at how ‘African governments and their international partners need to boost Africa’s resilience to the food insecurity caused by the Ukraine war’. Related to the issue of food security in Africa, Eve de Coning has contributed a piece on ‘Regulatory gaps in fisheries governance in Africa: security risks and implications’. This monitor article outlines the key gaps in fisheries governance and why this is an important security concern for Africa.
A new wave of high-level visits to Africa shows the complicated strategic choices that the continent needs to make.
African governments should prioritise formulating actionable solutions and interventions to mitigate against the repercussions of the conflict in Ukraine, which has already impacted on the next harvesting season.
Coupled with resource scarcity, the regulatory voids of weak fisheries governance frameworks may leave gaps that can easily fuel conflict and illicit activities
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!
