Today 70 researchers and policy makers from more than ten different African countries gather in Nigeria’s capital Abuja for a two-day policy dialogue on how regional economic communities, like ECOWAS and IGAD, can promote peace in Africa. Key note speaker is Kayode Fayemi, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development.
Africa’s eight Regional Economic Communities were primarily set up to promote economic integration. Today they play an increasingly important role also in conflict resolution and peacebuilding in countries like Burundi, Liberia, Sierra Leone and elsewhere in Africa.
“The performance of traditional organizations like the UN has not been impressive. Also, most of the global powers are now retreating from active engagement outside their immediate geographical locations. In this context regional organizations have become increasingly visible in promoting peace and development”, says Professor Victor Adetula, head of research at the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI), who co-organises this event together with the Nigerian Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and the African Peacebuilding Network, in partnership with ECOWAS and IGAD.
“The purpose of this event is to create links. Links between East and West African experiences. Links between research and policy making. Links between lessons learned from prior conflicts to future peacebuilding processes. To achieve this we will look from within and gather African scholars to exchange ideas on how we deal with conflict resolution in different African contexts“, says Professor Oshita Oshita, Director General of IPCR.
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) is a research centre, a think-tank and an agency to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for the promotion of peace and conflict prevention, management and resolution. www.ipcr.gov.ng
The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) is a center for research, documentation and information on Africa. It is based in Uppsala, Sweden, and jointly financed by the governments of Finland, Iceland and Sweden. www.nai.uu.se
The African Peacebuilding Network (APN) is a part of the US-based non-profit Social Science Research Council (SSRC). APN’s mission is to support independent African research on peacebuilding and its integration into regional and global policy.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional economic community. Member countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is a regional economic community. Member countries are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
Venue: Plot 496 Abogo Largema Street, off Constitution Avenue, Central Area, Abuja, Nigeria
Press Contact IPCR: Abu I. Michael, tel +234-806-5648478 Press Contact NAI: Henrik Alfredsson, tel +46-70-1679684 Press Contact Embassy of Finland in Abuja: Emmi Mwanzagi, tel +234-80-35253333 or Teofila Infante tel. +234-803 525 6666
