Africa has produced many able mediators in the past fifty years; it is time to refine, improve and assert this homegrown peacemaking capacity. This paper, published by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, reports on the African Mediators’ Retreat 2009, held to assess mediation efforts in various African states. Future discussions of the role of African mediators should address whether crisis response mediation undermines longer-term mediation objectives of social transformation and durable peace.
Retreat participants discussed recent and current peace processes in Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Darfur, Madagascar and the Central African Republic. It addressed how mediators can manage rebel groups, the impact of international justice on peace processes and how to deal effectively with external actors. Participants also discussed the role of mediation in the post-agreement phase and the mediator’s role during post-election transfers of power.
Participants also discussed country-specific mediation issues, including, inter alia, the need for strong political commitment to the peace process in Somalia’s and recent mediation/facilitation efforts in the Central African Republic.
Retreat discussions reached the following conclusions on how the mediator’s role affects peace processes:
- Mediators are often reluctant to confront economic/natural resources issues for fear of losing status with vested interests. However, in order to tackle root causes of conflict, allocation of resources should be on the table.
- The potential for Africa to solve its own conflict problems depends on its development of adequate capacity, funding, staffing and logistics. A firm strategy for better United Nations cooperation with regional organisations such as the African Union needs to be developed.
- Identification of which rebel groups are most important in mediation processes is key; however, inclusion should be meaningful and kept to a manageable size.
- External actors in most African peace processes are inevitable. However, they need to listen, respect and be impartial.
- Implementation mechanisms need to be part of peace agreements. The more people involved in a process, the better stakeholders can strengthen implementation.
- Groups that can play a mediation role to help prevent election violence include electoral commissions, the international community and inter-political party committees. In addition, councils of elders could provide their moral authority to ensure peaceful election processes.
The following questions and issues should be included in future discussion and development of the role of mediators in Africa:
- Whether crisis response mediation may undermine the longer-term objective of mediation as a catalyst for social transformation and durable peace.
- The kind of partnership and support needed for mediation processes.
- Examination of how democratisation in Africa affects conflict.
- Structured discussion of root causes of conflict, for example, poverty and the link between climate change and conflict.
- Linkages between conflict and the role of the military.
- The role of women in mediation, including traditional dispute-resolution.
