Conflict is one of the greatest obstacles to development
in Africa today. Approximately half of sub-Saharan African
countries have experienced violent armed conflict in the
past five years. According to a University of Maryland assessment of 158 countries world wide on their capacity for peace building and ability to avoid destabilizing political crises, 25 sub-Saharan countries
have poor capacities to manage conflicts and avoid destabilization,
13 have limited capacities, and six--Benin, Botswana,
Mali, Namibia, Mauritius and South Africa-- have relatively
high peace-building capacities. Almost every country across
the broad middle belt of Africa--from Somalia in the east
to Sierra Leone in the west, and from Sudan in the north
to Angola in the south--has a volatile mix of poor human
security, unstable and inequitable political institutions,
limited legitimate resources, and, inevitably, a “bad
neighborhood” of similar crisis-ridden states.
These conflicts have (a) undermined progress in health,
economic growth, and governance; (b) created conditions
that have resulted in breeding grounds for terrorism; and
(c) required costly humanitarian assistance. According to
the report, the pervasive consequences of long-term
poverty and warfare complicate the prospects for stability. These consequences include: deteriorating sanitation and health
and, especially, the related AIDS pandemic; widespread and
recurring famine; and large numbers of refugee, displaced,
and otherwise marginalized populations. Food insecurity,
floods, droughts, and epidemics often combine with conflict
to create complex emergencies with devastating effects.
Through its programs in 22 presence countries and three regional offices, USAID strives to improve the lives of Africans in
conflict-affected regions or countries. USAID targets these
conflict affected areas by systematically developing integrated treatment
strategies that address the underlying
problems fueling violent conflict.
"Conflict" is defined as a struggle over values
or claims to status, power (i.e., through the politicization
of identity) and scarce resources
(for example land, water, natural resources, minerals and food),
among two or more parties that perceive incompatible interests
or express hostile attitudes. Prevention activities target
specific issues involving actions, policies, procedures,
institutions, or conditions in order to minimize socio-cultural,
economic, or political divisions. The aim is to help groups
work together and forestall broad-based instability and violent
conflict. Mitigation efforts contain and reduce violence
as a way of lessening the damage done to the population and
the development investments in affected countries.
The guiding
rule for conflict management activities is "do no harm." Resolution efforts seek an
end to ongoing conflict through mediation, alternative dispute
resolution, or other arbitration. The reconciliation process
involves re-establishing government units and civil society
(e.g., community, labor and business groups) and enabling
them to cooperate among themselves. Short-term efforts may
involve truth and reconciliation commissions, special tribunals,
indigenous peacebuilding or dispute resolution, and other
channels. Long-term efforts may include reconciliation among
formerly warring parties or vulnerable populations, specifically
women and youth, and establishing human rights guarantees.
USAID networks with African partners, who
ultimately own the outcome of their peace process, and assists
them, through offices in Africa, to promote state-of-the-art
approaches, tools and experience in assessing an area’s
vulnerability to conflict. USAID promotes stronger coordination,
networking and action in conflict prevention and management.
USAID allocated $14.8 million in FY 2003 for the Africa Conflict
and Peacebuilding Fund. This assistance comes at an opportune time given
the status of several peace processes, whether nascent (Northern
Uganda), much delayed (Eritrea-Ethiopia), at critical turning
points (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and
Liberia) or in a consolidation phase (Sierra Leone, Angola,
and Senegal). In addition, the Fund will help countries mitigate
destabilizing conflicts (particularly in Guinea, Ethiopia,
Kenya, and Zimbabwe). The Fund comes at a time when USAID
country program teams are increasingly designing strategies
and programs to address conflict.
USAID activities fit into two categories: (a) conflict
response and mitigation programs that aim to avert imminent
violence, mitigate ongoing violence, or address its immediate
aftermath (e.g., mediation, community-based reconciliation,
peace media, reintegration); and, (b) conflict management
programs that address the underlying causes and consequences of conflict
(e.g., youth unemployment, ethnically based economic competition,
natural resources such as land, water, and forests).
