The first issue of 2022 contains five articles and a book review that analyse some of the most common conflict resolution challenges in Africa. Two articles look at initiatives to establish infrastructures for peace mechanisms to prevent and manage conflict in Malawi and Zimbabwe, respectively. Others looks at a chieftaincy succession crisis in Ghana, transitional justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and water conflicts in Cameroon. The issue ends with a book review about the first civil war in Liberia.
The first article is by Dr Gwinyayi Albert Dzinesa. It analyses Malawi’s first National Peace Policy. This is a national peacebuilding framework which was established after the July 2011 outbreak of deadly violence between police and civilians to proactively prevent conflict and to promote sustainable peace and unity.
The second article is by Dr Godwill Kungso Ndzofoa Eno. It discusses the hydro-politics and conflicts among the ‘traditional states’ of the Nun River Basin in north-west Cameroon. This region has a long history of cross-border conflicts, mostly connected to the impact of climate change on water and other resources.
The third article is by Dr Isaac Owusu-Mensah. It analyses the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis in Ghana. This has engaged the attention of all governments of Ghana since independence. This article analyses the latest state of mediation and intervention efforts to resolve the crisis since the eruption of bloody conflict in March 2002.
The fourth article is by Dr Muneyi Rewayi Muchanyuka. It analyses the establishment of local peace committees in Zimbabwe’s Chipinge-East District to prevent and manage recurring violence affecting communities along the border with Mozambique.
The fifth article is by Dr Patrick Bashizi Bashige Murhula. It discusses transitional justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This article proposes an alternative approach to transitional justice in the DRC based on restorative values and principles, such as the Baraza indigenous restorative justice mechanism.
The last contribution in this edition is a review by Dr Naila Salihu of Edmond Hogan’s book Liberia’s first civil war: A narrative history. It was published in 2022 as part of Cyril Obi’s ‘Routledge studies in peace, conflict and security in Africa’ series. The book provides a chronological account of the first civil war in Liberia from the late 1980s to 1997.
We hope that you will find this collection of articles by African researchers on Africa valuable for your research and practice. ACCORD values empirical research on specific conflicts and conflict resolution initiatives in Africa.
Cedric de Coning