Please
join the Wilson Center Africa Program for an upcoming series of
virtual events focused on peacebuilding in Africa. These events will
feature four Southern
Voices Network for Peacebuilding Scholars as they present their
research and recommendations alongside experts, policymakers, and
practitioners.
To register for one or more of the events, please click
on the links below to RSVP individually for each event.
Tuesday,
June 2 at 10:00 am - 11:30 am with Mr. Osei Baffour Frimpong, Regional
Lead Researcher and Conflict Analyst, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding
(WANEP), Ghana
The rise
of violent extremism has become particularly acute in the West Africa and
Sahel regions, and has given rise to a proliferation of international and
regional responses, including by the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS). Regional efforts to combat violent extremism are anchored by
the G5 Sahel and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), while
international efforts include the French Operation Barkhane and the U.S.
Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP). This event will assess
the efficacy of current regional mechanisms in addressing this rising
threat, their articulation and complementarity with international efforts,
and propose options to improve the regional response to violent extremism
in West Africa.
Wednesday, June 3 at 10:00 am - 11:30 am with Fr.
Rigobert Minani, S.J., Research Director, Centre d’Etudes pour l’Action
Sociale (CEPAS), The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
For the
last two decades, the United Nations (UN) has been present in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Yet, despite the deployment of the
world’s largest UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, devastating conflicts
that have killed and displaced millions have continued—calling into
question the efficacy of UN peacekeeping efforts and other peacebuilding
measures. This event will broaden the conversation, analyzing not just the
challenges faced by the UN peacekeeping mission but also assessing the
larger, multifaceted peacebuilding efforts in the DRC.
Countering Transnational Organized
Crime as a Strategy for Peacebuilding in East Africa
Monday,
June 8 at 10:00 am - 11:30 am with Mr. Messay Asgedom Gobena, Ph.D.
Candidate in Peace and Security Studies, Addis Ababa University Institute
for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Ethiopia
While
transnational organized crime (TOC) is a pervasive global issue, it is
especially prevalent and damaging in conflict-affected or fragile
states. TOC in East Africa takes many forms, including organized
violence, financial crimes, narcotics and human trafficking, piracy, and
cybercrime. The issue of TOC is deeply connected to security and
peacebuilding. TOC thrives in insecure environments with weak rule of law,
corrupt state institutions, and limited cross-border law enforcement
collaboration. In many cases violent extremists or other armed groups are
also engaged in TOC, a dynamic which both provides resilient funding and
reduces the incentives for any peace agreement that may make TOC more
difficult. This event will look at how TOC has impacted peace and
security and affected peacebuilding efforts in East Africa, and offer
policy recommendations for countering the impact of TOC on peace in the
region.
The
SVNP is a continent-wide network of African policy, research and academic
organizations that works with the Wilson Center’s Africa Program to bring
African knowledge and perspectives to U.S., African, and international
policy on peacebuilding in Africa. Established in 2011 and supported by the
generous financial support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the
project provides avenues for African researchers and practitioners to
engage with and exchange analyses and perspectives with U.S., African, and
international policymakers in order to develop the most appropriate,
cohesive, and inclusive policy frameworks and approaches to achieving
sustainable peace in Africa. |
