Africa has hosted over 50 peace operations since the onset of the 21st century, with some of the most complex United Nations missions currently operating in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and South Sudan, among others.
African states and institutions such as the African Union play an increasingly significant role in peace efforts, including through the evolving African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and through troop contributions to peace operations.
However, efforts to build and sustain peace in conflict-affected areas continue to face significant challenges, including ambitious operational mandates; rapidly changing modes of warfare; and incoherent formal relationships between ‘peacekeepers’ and ‘peacebuilders’.
There is increasing recognition of the need to integrate the efforts of the various actors involved in sustainable peace processes, including grassroots actors focused on microlevel community peacebuilding as well as state and inter-faith initiatives.
This event draws on two recently published books to discuss the evolution of thinking and practice of peace-building and keeping in Africa, and launches a new journal Stability. The event examines elements of peace efforts and operations to reflect on key lessons and best practices, and explores options for differing pathways towards sustainable peace.
This event will also be broadcast live on the Chatham House Africa Programme’s Facebook page.
This event is held in partnership with the John & Elnora Ferguson Centre at the University of Bradford.
