Conflict & Resilience Monitor – 26 October 2023

Beginning in the early 1990s, geopolitical developments, new conflict patterns, and an evolution in the practice of conflict resolution by Africa’s intergovernmental, state and non-governmental actors heralded new African efforts in the field of peacemaking and peacekeeping, leading to Nordic collaboration in training and capacity building in these areas. The last decade has witnessed cooperation between the Nordic region and Africa to address increasingly complex civil conflicts, through mediation and peacekeeping.

The African Union’s peace and security architecture has significantly developed over the past two decades, but Africa still faces persistent and resurgent armed conflict and war. The Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden – have established a robust partnership with Africa, supporting the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) through initiatives with African governments, the AU, regional economic communities and mechanisms, civil society, and research institutions.

Against the backdrop of the traditional exchange of diplomatic niceties and posturing for domestic political audiences among world leaders, who gathered in recent days in New York for the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), UN Secretary-General António Guterres proposed myriad solutions to the world’s biggest challenges during this year’s High-Level Week, drawing on his forward-leaning Our Common Agenda and High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism reports and eleven new policy briefs.

In 2022, Lesotho held national elections against the backdrop of a reforms process that parliament could not pass before the elections. The reconvening of a dissolved parliament under a state of emergency in order to pass the omnibus bill, proved to be unsuccessful. While the omnibus bill was passed during this reconvened sitting, something that parliament was unable to do during an ordinary sitting, the state of emergency was declared unconstitutional and thus the passing of the bill was voided.This political uncertainly in the build-up to the election, however, did not translate into an uncertain result. Political newcomers, the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party, led by Sam Matekane, won 56 of the 120 parliamentary seats, falling just short of the 61 seats needed to govern with an outright majority. This was one of the strongest showings in an election by any political party in decades. Despite the strong showing from the RFP, the party has found it difficult to fully assert itself authority.