Local Peace Committees in Africa: The Unseen Role in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuidling
Publisher: The Journal of Pan African Studies
Author(s): Abdul K Issifu
Date: 2016
Topics: Conflict Prevention, Governance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Programming
Countries: Africa
This article seeks to unveil the role of Local Peace Committees (LPCs) in conflict resolution and peacebuilding in Africa. Thus, violence emanating from religious extremism, racism, ethnicity and intra/interstate warfare has long been a component of the international discourse. This is because one-third of all countries in the world have experienced violent conflicts. In the western world, however, violence caused by state supremacy and hegemony, resource competition, and political rivalry is either resolved entirely or drastically minimised. Nevertheless, in Africa, many conflicts originating from politics, ethnicity, religion, chieftaincy, natural resources etc. remain protracted, in spite of efforts by the international community and local governments in keeping peace. Notwithstanding, the review of secondary data, including articles, journals, books, internet publications etc. revealed that LPCs have played and continues to play a key role in maintaining, managing and resolving most of these long-drawn-out conflicts in Africa. Hence, the author recommends that for a sustainable peace to be witnessed in all war-torn countries, African and Western leaders should identify and support LPCs, thereby providing them with the legal mandate and the financial support to operate on a large-scale.