FBA in sub-Saharan Africa

A large number of the world’s conflicts is in Africa. Africa is also the continent where the majority of UN’s peace operations are deployed. FBA is commissioned to support peace and security in the sub-Saharan region.

Contemporary conflicts commonly involve many different armed groups, both state and non-state actors, and tend to spill over borders. Civilian populations are often victims of violence. In order to solve today’s complex, cross-border conflicts and build sustainable peace, regional cooperation is needed.

FBA supports regional actors in sub-Saharan Africa in their efforts for peace, mainly the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Within the framework of Sweden’s development cooperation with sub-Saharan Africa, FBA is focused on two areas:

Women, peace and security
Women have traditionally played a marginalized role in peace processes in the region. ECOWAS aims at increasing the participation of women in their work, and at better recognizing and meeting the different security needs of women, men, boys and girls. FBA supports ECOWAS’ gender mainstreaming efforts, for example through training and expert advice.

Dialogue and peace mediation
FBA offers expert advice on dialogue and peace mediation to the AU, in order to stregthen the organization’s role as a key mediator in African conflicts. FBA also offers dialogue and mediation training for ECOWAS and key actors within the ECOWAS member states, in order to enhance their capacity to prevent electoral violence. Violence in connection with elections is a widespread problem in West Africa.

Click here to read the entire strategy for Sweden’s development cooperation with sub-Saharan Africa 2016–2021.

New FBA mission – promote human security in southern Africa

Strengthening Africa’s regional forces for peace

Electoral violence a threat to peace and democratic development

West African standby forces trained in detecting conflict-related sexual violence

Factsheet about FBA’s work in sub-Saharan Africa (English)

Factsheet about FBA’s work in sub-Saharan Africa (French)

Photo: UN Photo/Catianne Tijerina

Making the voices of the Afghan people heard in the peace talks between the Taliban and the government

Historic peace talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban movement have just begun. But how will the voices of the Afghan people be brought to the negotiation table? A new platform, run by the Afghan civil society with practical support from the FBA and funding from the EU, will bring together the concerns and desires of the Afghans, and transmit them to the negotiators.

2020-09-16 10:05

On international deployment

Kristian Edqvist

Training manager in Brussels

Catalina Perdomo Rodriguez

Adviser to the UN in Colombia

Johan Chytraeus

Monitoring officer in Ukraine

Karolina Riedel

Statistician in election observation missions

Johan Fredborn Larsson

Political adviser in Mali

Vanda Dahlbom

Analyst in Iraq

Björn Tedeman

Election observer

Read our publications

Mitigating Election Violence through Dialogue and Mediation in West Africa

This brief discusses the role that dialogue and mediation training can play in addressing electoral violence, a serious problem to human life and democracy in many countries. Over fifty percent of the African states have experienced electoral violence since the 1990s.

Documents

Mitigating Election Violence through Dialogue and Mediation in West Africa.pdf

More Publications

THE FBA BLOG

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Posted by Rhodri Williams
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The rule of law is broadly recognized as necessary for good governance, peace and security. The UN 2030 Agenda recognizes this dynamic in all countries, rich or poor. However, the impact of the rule of law – or its absence – is most strongly felt in countries struggling with conflict and crisis.

As part of its work in Liberia, the FBA has supported local partners to apply rule of law principles in public administration. This reflects a ... Read entire post »
2020-09-14 10:34
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Posted by Andreas Berg
There and back again – the unexpected journeys of year COVID

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What is the last ‘normal’ thing you remember doing? In the extreme year of 2020, many of us have asked this question, trying to remember the last event or activity where we blissfully, innocently, spent time in public spaces without caution, moving through crowds, kissing cheeks, and sharing food in a way that now feels reckless or at least decadent and daring. For me the answer would probably be attending a wine festival in Kyiv in ... Read entire post »
2020-09-09 09:49