African regional organizations such as the African Union (AU) or the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) are mandated to promote peace and security and to protect demo­cracy and human rights on the African continent. In this context, they intervene more and more frequently in their member states: for example via mediation and negotiation in political crises, after coups or contested elections. This has for instance happened after un­constitutional changes of govern­ment in Madagascar, Niger, Mali, and, more recently, in The Gambia, when long-standing President Yahya Jammeh refused to ack­nowledge opposition leader Adama Barrow’s victory in the 2016 presidential elections.

African Peacemaking: Insights into politics and practice

In the wake of the workshop "African peacemaking seen from below: experiments, experiences and alternatives" African and European academics and peace practitioners from African regional organizations and civil society met in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 26-28 January, 2017.