Conflict & Resilience Monitor – 13 April 2022

After two years of virtual sessions, the 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) marked a turning point, and was organised in a hybrid format that saw many participants from the capitals physically present in New York. I was personally pleased that so many Ministers and other dignitaries attended the CSW66 in-person, as leaders of their delegations. Their presence in New York again showed the importance of this Commission. CSW remains pivotal as a forum to monitor the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. It is also the main place at the United Nations (UN) for deliberation and development of new norms to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women.

It has been over a month since Russia invaded Ukraine. The adage comes to mind – in every crisis there is an opportunity. As Africa prepares for the inevitable political and economic fallout, it may be an opportune time for some African countries to formulate new political and economic policies that may benefit from a shift in global markets.

The parties to the Revitalised Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) have signed, on 3 April 2022, an agreement to unify the security command structure. The deal, which was brokered by neighbouring Sudan, is significant in that it allows for the integration of armed opposition commanders and forces from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army In Opposition (SPLM/A IO) and South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) into the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF).

Almost a decade since the conflict in South Sudan commenced, the conflict has become further fragmented, with indiscriminate violence across the country being highly varied. Playing into these complex conflict dynamics are the impacts of climate change, which may further grievances and tensions.

The Lake Chad Basin region comprising of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and the Central Africa Republic (CAR) is in the middle of a serious conflict. News reports often refer to this crisis as the ‘Boko Haram crisis’, which is somewhat of an understatement given that this is one of the world’s most complex humanitarian disasters.

Former Zambian President Rupiah Banda died on Friday March 11, 2022, aged 85 after suffering from colon cancer. The Zambian government declared seven days of national mourning in honour of his distinguished public service to the nation. The late former Zambian President led the country for 3 years from 2008 to 2011. He became the fourth president after the country’s independence from British rule in 1964.

Protests in the Kingdom of Eswatini began in mid-2021 following the death of a university student, Thabani Nkomonye, in police custody. The student protests soon expanded to include people from various sectors of society who had grievances about the lack of democracy and a system of government that they said served the interest of the monarchy rather than the people. It is not the first time that there have been calls for greater levels of democracy in Eswatini. However, the scale and intensity of the protests, including the level of violence that the security forces used to suppress the protests, has drawn greater regional and international attention to Eswatini than ever before.