Publications /
Annual Report
Book / Report

Back
Download PDF
African Peace and Security Annual Conference (APSACO) - 8th edition: SUMMARY REPORT
Authors
Policy Center for the New South
September 30, 2024
Related topics: 
Security & Defense
Conflict resolution
Africa

The African Peace and Security Annual Conference (APSACO) just concluded its 8th edition, serving as a crucial platform for discussing conflict prevention and management in Africa. APSACO has fostered a vibrant community that facilitates dialogue on Africa’s unique challenges and allows for the exchange of innovative ideas on conflict resolution. The Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) is proud to be an active participant in this ecosystem, contributing to key initiatives such as the African Union (AU) Policy Framework on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), adopted by the AU Assembly of Heads of State in February 2024.

APSACO is distinctive in its ability to analyze African issues from the continent’s perspective while recognizing the interdependence between Africa and the global context. In conflict resolution, there is no universal model, and peace must be nurtured through local and regional solutions in addition to multilateral approaches promoted by the United Nations.

This year’s theme, "Mediation in Internal African Conflicts," highlights the growing importance of mediation within Africa, particularly in the context of African Union initiatives. African mediation processes integrate unique African norms, such as the principle of subsidiarity championed by Regional Economic Communities (RECs), while facing obstacles like institutional fragmentation, conflicting national interests, and the challenge of fostering innovative engagement between the AU and RECs, as well as the partnership between the UN and AU.

APSACO provides a critical forum for addressing these challenges through dialogue on key areas such as African mediation mechanisms, the coordination of local, regional, and continental efforts, strategies for fostering synergies between the AU and civil society, the complexities of the Sahelian crisis, and the vital role of civil society in peace processes. With evolving security dynamics across the continent, APSACO underscores the growing need for African mediation expertise and offers recommendations such as creating a mediation training panel to further develop these essential skills.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Download PDF
    Violent Extremism in the Sahel: The Birth of a Third Generation of Terrorism?
    Authors
    Abdelhak Bassou
    April 5, 2018
    Are we witnessing a third generation of jihadism rearing its head in the Sahel? In the wake of the globalised movement of jihad in the 1990s, spearheaded by Afghan jihadists and propelled forward by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, another trend has emerged in recent years with the advent of Daesh (also known as ISIS and ISIL) – a trend that is characterised by the territorialisation of the struggle and the revival of the Caliphate dream. These two movements have engaged in fierce conf ...
  • Plenary VIII: Security in the Sahel and Transatlantic Implications
    December 12, 2017
    Countries in the Sahel are facing political changes that affect the rest of the continent and the world. The Sahel region has had a long history of vulnerability owing to dry land conditions, climate change as well as movements of people. These factors have resulted in porous frontiers ...
  • Plenary IX: Lessons from Foreign Military Interventions in Africa
    December 12, 2017
    Africa has a history of foreign military interventions, dating back to the colonial era. The 21st century has seen an intensification of foreign and intra-African military intervention. The reasons include competition and the desire to maintain spheres of influence, the war on terrorism...

  • From

    16
    5:30 pm February 2022

    SECURITY AND GOVERNENCE IN AFRICA: SAHEL AND LIBYA

    Rida Lyammouri, Senior Fellow at Policy Center for the New South, will be speaking at the webinar “security and governence in africa: sahel and libya” organized by frica Study Group in partnership with The Middle East Institute. The security dynamics of the Maghreb and the Sahel are intertwined and the consequences of the Libyan conflict on the Sahel have been serious. Since its beginning in 2011, this conflict has triggered global concern about the economic, security, and geostrategic impacts on the Sahel. Current threats are posed by the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation, and misuse of arms, as well as the flow of armed groups and mercenaries. Despite considerable international efforts, especially by African countries, the Sahel is still experiencing one of the ...