There is no single strategy that can provide peace and security to Africa. Strategies should focus on the different stages of conflict, namely conflict prevention and peace building, conflict resolution and containment, and post-conflict reconstruction. Strategies also need to be undertaken simultaneously at local, civil society, national and regional levels, in the social, political, military and economic spheres. Strategies need to be simultaneously ‘objective’, dealing with the substantive issues and the institutional mechanisms for responding, and ‘subjective’, in developing the awareness, understanding and expectations of leaders at all levels. They need to move beyond purely military definitions of security to more comprehensive and strategic visions.
The following three tables summarise some of the kinds of activities that can be undertaken.
Conflict prevention and peace-building
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Military |
Political |
Economic |
| Community |
- Teaching of non-military values in schools.
- Promoting inter-communal dialogue.
- Small arms control.
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- Maintenance of effective dispute resolution mechanisms.
- Empowerment of women and youth.
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- Management of common resources in a way so as to minimise conflict potential.
- Provision of work, education opportunities for youth.
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| Civil society/ private sector |
- Engagement of civil society stakeholders in public debate on security issues.
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- Promotion of civil and political rights, transparency and good governance.
- Inclusion of all constituencies, promotion of gender equity.
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- NGO/CBO promotion of service provision, sustainable development.
- Good corporate citizenship
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| National political |
- Limited use of emergency measures.
- No proliferation of special forces or militias.
- Transparency about military spending.
- Civilian control of the military and security services.
|
- Equitable represen-tation of different ethnic/ religious/social groups in government.
- Devolution of powers.
- Freedom of movement and regional citizenship.
- Respect for constitut-ionalism.
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- Adequate remuneration for soldiers, including health care and pensions.
- Limitations on military spending.
- Controls on military and security involvement in commerce.
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| Regional |
- Confidence-building measures between countries such as publishing national military budgets and troop levels.
- Creation of credible regional intervention forces.
- Development of national and regional security doctrines to promote predictability and transparency in inter-state relations.
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- Promotion of norms of good governance, utilising peer pressure.
- Establishment and development of regional fora for dialogue and dispute management.
- Regional civil society organisations also have roles in this regard.
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- Functioning of regional mechanisms and institutions for e.g. management of shared riperine resources, cross-border pastures.
- Promotion of intra-regional trade
|
| International |
- Development of credible international intervention forces.
- Training for military, police, security services.
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- Enhancement of conflict early-warning and timely intervention systems.
- Support to civil society initiatives.
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- Increased predictability, mutual accountability in aid relations.
- Increased support to key social sectors.
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Management of post-conflict transition
| |
Military |
Political |
Economic |
| Community |
- Rehabilitation and reintegration of former combatants.
- Local control of small arms supplies.
- Humanitarian mine action.
|
- Reconciliation between formerly hostile communities.
- Rebuilding of judicial institutions.
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- Rehabilitation of essential services.
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| Civil society/ private sector |
- Assistance to veterans’ associations to become articulate and responsible members of civil society.
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- Promotion of democracy, human rights etc., including active participation in rebuilding institutions.
- Promotion of reconciliation.
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- Support to social service provision, income-generating projects, micro-credit etc.
- Engagement in policy debate and monitoring of post-conflict rehabilit-ation programmes.
|
| National political |
- Creation of a national army and security forces committed to democratic sovereignty.
- Establishment of a comprehensive nationwide programme for disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants and security officers.
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- Establishment of democratic procedures and institutions.
- Civilianisation of national political life.
- Rebuilding national institutions.
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- Development of plans for rehabilitation of war-stricken areas, return and resettlement of refugees and IDPs, economic reintegration of demobilised former combatants, and relaunching the economy.
- Development of new financing schemes for rehabilitation.
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| Regional |
- Provision of peace-keeping forces as appropriate.
- Monitoring adherence to military protocols in peace agreements.
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- Supporting and monitoring implementation of peace agreements.
- Promotion of regional civil society initiatives and networks.
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- Assistance for refugees to return.
- Promotion of regional integration, cross-border trade and other measures.
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| International |
- Provision of peace-keeping forces as appropriate.
- Monitoring adherence to military protocols in peace agreements.
- Support (financial and technical) to military reform and demobilisation.
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- Institutional support to key ministries, departments for reconstruction.
- Engagement in policy dialogue to promote democratisation and reconciliation plans over a realistic time frame
- Support to civil society initiatives.
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- Sequenced economic assistance to support transition from conflict through rehabilitation to growth/development.
- Providing conditionality-free assistance to rehabilitation and recovery plans through trust funds and similar initiatives.
- Accelerated debt relief.
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