8 research outputs found
Shrinking Civic Space and the Role of Civil Society in Resolution of Conflict in Anglophone Cameroon
Get PDFExploring Unarmed Civilian Self-Protection in Cameroon’s Anglophone Conflict
Get PDFThis study explores the unarmed civilian self-protection measures taken by individuals and communities who live in the midst of ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon’s two Englishspeaking regions, the North West and South West
Building Sustainable Peace in Mali: a Grassroots Approach
No full textSince 2012, Violence in Mali has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and represents a major challenge to global humanitarian and peacebuilding institutions. The root causes of the uprising are longstanding governance and security weaknesses coupled with mistrust and marginalization across regional, ethnic, and racial lines. The strong threat to international peace that could arise from a deterioration of the situation attracted a regional and international response to the crisis, led mainly by ECOWAS, France, African Union, United Nations and the G5 Sahel. The political commitment and the timely military response from ECOWAS and France in particular, can be said to have halted the progress of the separatists and terrorist agenda of MNLA, AQIM and other partner groups at the centre of the conflict. Along with the subsequent deployment of an African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA), its replacement by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the G5 Sahel, these efforts have however done little more than limiting armed violence. Using a qualitative research strategy, this paper shows that the limited results can be explained by an overreliance on elite negotiations and third party intervention with little done to solicit and implement grassroots solutions
Social cohesion in the Central African Republic
No full textThe ethno-religious conflict that resulted from the Seleka rebellion of 2012–2013 has had serious implications for social cohesion in the Central African Republic (CAR). The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons for the current decline of social cohesion (albeit already weak) in the CAR and to explore the opportunities that are available to enhance cohesion. Using a qualitative research strategy, three sources of social erosion in the CAR were identified: insecurity, the undemocratic nature of CAR regimes, and the polarising nature of the international environment. To effectively address the challenges to social cohesion in the CAR, it is recommended that concrete efforts be made to promote democracy
Gender in Peacekeeping Operations: A Phenomenological Study of the Experiences of Ethiopian Female Peacekeepers in Abyei
No full textThis paper analyses the role of gender in peacekeeping operations through a review of women’s experiences in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). This mission is dominated by Ethiopian peacekeepers and Ethiopia has also contributed the largest number of female peacekeepers (FPKs) to the mission since 2013. In spite of this, the proportion of female troops in UNISFA remains very low. We base our analysis on 15 in-depth field interviews, two focusgroup discussions, and direct observation done between 22 July 2015 and 2 August 2015. Traditional security studies have been criticised for being gender blind and state-centric.Using the human security conception of security and standpoint feminism as a framework for analysis, this study reveals that efforts made for the full integration of women in peace operations by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) have been thwarted by the persistence of negative stereotypes and the working conditions of FPKs in Abyei
