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.
This month’s Monitor begins with a focus on peacekeeping in Africa. Andrea Prah writes about the future of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping following the recently concluded Peacekeeping Ministerial hosted in Germany. Her article looks at the future of peacekeeping in Africa in the light of changes taking place in the global community, regional peace operations and challenges to reform the current multilateral system.
Staying with peacekeeping, Cedric de Coning then writes about the possibility of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and the peacekeeping experience that Africa can offer. Before peacekeepers can go in, technical elements of an agreement between the two countries needs to be agreed upon, but African peacekeepers monitoring the agreement may be acceptable to both sides, opening up a role for Africa in the conflict.
The third article in this edition is from Abraham Ename Minko who discusses the African Standby Force (ASF) and its role in the context of the current conflict in Sudan. The ASF is yet to be deployed and faces numerous challenges, such as insufficient funding and regional economic communities tending to prefer regional interventions instead of those led by the African Union. This article discusses these challenges as well as the possibility of the ASF playing a role in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Finally, Boikanyo Nkwatle writes about electronic voting in South Africa. The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is currently exploring the possibility of introducing electronic voting into South Africa’s electoral processes. Boikanyo discusses the benefits and drawbacks of electronic voting, and the process that IEC is currently undertaking to solicit public opinion on the introduction of changes to the current voting system.
This Year’s Peacekeeping Ministerial, Hosted by Germany Ahead of the UNSG’s Review on Peace Operations, Brought Together 45 Ministers, Key Experts and Various Regional Organisations
Many African Countries May Be Acceptable to Both Russia and Ukraine, Making It Likely That They Could Contribute Ceasefire Observers to a Monitoring Mission
Despite Over Two Decades of Development, the ASF Has Yet to Be Deployed in Any Mission, Highlighting Significant Challenges in Its Institutional and Operational Readiness
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!
