Conflict & Resilience Monitor – 30 March 2023

Ten years ago, on 24 February 2013, countries of the Great Lakes region signed the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region. They committed to end, once and for all, the scourge of recurrent violence and instability that plagued the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with impacts across the region. The Framework laid the foundation, for the first time, for lasting peace in eastern DRC and for a peaceful coexistence between neighbouring countries.

The arrival of the Burundian forces as part of the first contingent of East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in August 2022, was meant to shore up the political settlement facilitated by the former Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta.  According to the plan, the region is to mobilise between 6,500 and 12,000 soldiers to work in cooperation with the Congolese military (FARDC) and administrative forces to support the political dialogue between rebels and the government, provide civilian protection, enforce peace agreements and contain, defeat and eradicate negative forces in the country. It includes creating a buffer zone in liberated areas between the March 23 Movement (M23), and FARDC. The M23 is associated with the Tutsi ethnic group and claims to be fighting to protect Tutsis from Hutu extremists and blames the DRC government for reneging on the promise to incorporate its fighters into the national army.

Over the past 18 months, the Nigerian government has estimated that some 90,000 people have left Boko Haram areas. The large numbers of new arrivals has put stress on the infrastructure to reintegrate low-risk defectors from the group in Maiduguri, overwhelming existing facilities and support structures. The recent mass exits from Boko Haram also present an inevitable yet unique opportunity to take stock of earlier efforts to encourage defections from Boko Haram factions and promote community reconciliation and reintegration with former group members.

On 19 March 2023, Sudan’s civilian forces, Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and the Parliamentary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck a deal to form a new transitional administration and signed the final agreement paving the way for the transfer of power to a civilian government on 11 April 2023.

In February 2022, the Peacemaking Advisory Group (PAG) undertook a mission to Mozambique to engage various state and non-state actors. The objective of the mission was to gauge the willingness for the commencement of a dialogue process as a conflict transformation tool to address the insecurity in the northern Mozambique province of Cabo Delgado. The PAG seeks to create a safe and non-partisan platform for the promotion of dialogue and consultation between critical stakeholders while also pursuing measures to deescalate intercommunal tensions and unlock the province’s development potential.

The growing threat of violent extremist and other forms of insurgencies in the Sahel, Great Lakes, Horn of Africa and Southern Africa, and the way in which these groups operate transnationally, has changed the security landscape in Africa. In response a number of new types of operations have evolved. These new operations challenge some of the fundamental assumptions of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the standard models of international peace operations.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. The CSW provides a platform for advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, by highlighting the links between gender inequality, conflict, and peace. This includes addressing the impact of conflict on women and girls, advocating for their participation in peacebuilding and decision-making, and promoting the protection of women’s rights in peace agreements and post-conflict reconstruction efforts.

Climate change is an undeniable conflict threat multiplier that is already increasing food insecurity, water scarcity and resource competition while disrupting livelihoods. It is spurring migration through urbanisation, for example, small farm holdings no-longer remain viable following droughts or disasters. Additionally, issues relating to land degradation and grabbing, and over exploitation of the environment create conflicts within communities that may lead to violence. Climate change has the effect of escalating social, political and economic tensions in fragile and conflict-affected settings and has the potential to spark new conflicts in Africa. Diverging interests and values among various stakeholders give rise to climate conflicts (also known as environmental conflicts) over issues like, public land use and preservations, private land development, water quality or quantity, air quality, habitat for species, waste disposal, natural resource use and management and environmental hazards.