Central African Republic has been drawn into yet another cycle of violence as fighting returns to the capital Bangui. Senior Researcher Redie Bereketeab, Nordic Africa Institute, says that the growing disorder in CAR shows why a clearer mandate for Africa’s Regional Economic Communities is needed, in an article on Nordiska Afrikainstitutets website.
Since early May the capital has again been hit by sectarian violence between Muslim and Christian militias, killing more than 20 civilians.
CAR is governed by President Faustin-Archange Touadéra with support of a large UN peacekeeping operation but most of the country is controlled by ex-rebels and militias, claiming to act as guardians for the Muslim or Christian communities.
“Within Southern Africa, the crises in CAR illustrate the need for stronger mandate for outside, yet African, intervention”, says Bereketeab who runs a research project on conflict and state building.
One of the world’s poorest countries, CAR spiralled into conflict after longtime leader Francois Bozize was overthrown in 2013 by a predominantly Muslim rebel alliance called the Seleka. France intervened militarily from 2013 to 2016 to push out the Seleka, winding down the operation after Touadéra was elected.
Bereketeab says that Africa still relies heavily on outside actors to solve armed conflicts and other transnational problems on the African continent. However, he argues, much would be won if Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (REC) were given a clear mandate by its member states and AU to intervene in national affairs.
“Being on the middle level, the Regional Economic Communities are in a strategic position to handle conflicts. AU cannot deal with everything, the continent is too big for that.”
The question of how The Southern African Development Community (SADC) can strengthen its peacebuilding capacity is the topic of a policy dialogue event, in Gaborone, Botswana, on 23-24 May. It is the last of five policy dialogues on RECs and peacebuilding organised by The Nordic Africa Institute together with African Peacebuilding Network, Social Science Research Council and partners in the respective regions.
The vision about stronger RECs resonate with discussions between scholars, diplomats and policymakers at previous policy dialogue events, Bereketeab explains.
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