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.
In the March edition of the Conflict and Resilience Monitor we begin with an article from Hubert Kinkoh who writes about the recently concluded 38th Summit of the African Union (AU), where elections were held to choose a number of new commissioners, as well as a new Chairperson of the Commission. The article looks at the challenges that the new leadership will face and the need to navigate the AU and Africa’s position in the current global order. This is followed by an article from Jean Yves Ndzana Ndzana, who has written an article about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in conflict prevention and management. The article looks at the potential positive impact that AI might have on the early warning, conflict prevention and peacekeeping, as well as some of the harmful effects that AI might have in Africa.
Gwinyayi Albert Dzinesa and Alexander Madanha Rusero’s article is about adaptive Disarmament, Demobilisation, Rehabilitation, Reintegration, and Repatriation (DDRRR) in the context of the current conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A whole-of-society approach to DDRRR that also includes dialogue and transitional justice could help address the grievances of the many armed groups in the region. Finally, Abraham Ename Minko writes about the importance of humanitarian diplomacy in Africa. The article discusses the need balance global humanitarian efforts with the needs of locals on the ground in order for the interventions to be successful.
Will the new leadership propel the AU Commission towards meaningful progress, or will it remain hindered by old obstacles?
AI enhances conflict prevention through early warning systems and mechanisms that analyse satellite imagery, social media data, and historical trends to detect emerging threats
Despite the volatile situation in the eastern DRC, a new DDRRR programme that helps address the root causes of the conflict could be introduced to help stabilise the area
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!
