The silence surrounding sexual violence in Borno makes it difficult to investigate and prosecute rapes in an environment of violent conflict. The shame and stigma associated with abuse and the preoccupation with preserving individual and family dignity, as well as the marriage prospects of abused girls and young women, prevents victims from reporting to the police.
Essays
Essays present critical analysis and debate on a pressing issue in African peacebuilding.
Democracy, Development and Governance
Bolsonaro’s Victory Is Likely to See Brazil Scale down Africa Interests
Policy and Practice
Samir Amin: The Exit of an Intellectual Giant
by Said Adejumobi
Even when Marxism became unpopular after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union and many leftists made a turn, either becoming centrists or moving a “little to the right,” Amin remained convinced of his ideological stance and faithful to what he believed.
Peacebuilding
Kofi Annan: In Service of the World
by Ejeviome Eloho Otobo and Oseloka H. Obaze
Kofi Annan’s contributions to peace and security were wide-ranging, encompassing efforts to discourage needless conflicts, support peace operations, create or nurture institutions for peacebuilding, and develop norms and policies to promote inclusive development.
Conflict
Down, but Not yet Out: Boko Haram and the Concept of “Technical Defeat”
by Azeez Olaniyan
The president may have correctly captured the situation in the war against Boko Haram, but the jury is still out on when “technical” defeat will result in total defeat. Total defeat can only be the result of a combination of military success and winning over the hearts and minds of sympathizers of Boko Haram’s extremist ideology.
Peacebuilding
How Rwanda is Teaching Peace Education Through Ubumuntu Conversations
by Sela Muyoka Musundi
As we close the curtain on the annual Kwibuka period here in Rwanda, the Ubumuntu Conversations have challenged those of us who attended to play our part, however small, in making the world more peaceful.
Democracy, Development and Governance
Post-Election Violence in Zimbabwe’s 2018 Election: Can a Future Recurrence Be Avoided?
by Admire Mare
This round of post-election violence has demonstrated the persistence of election-related violence in Zimbabwe. Even though President Mnangagwa has promised to appoint an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the causes of the violence, it remains to be seen how this will prevent a future recurrence.
Conflict
Twenty Years on the War on Terror in East Africa
by ItemsSamar Al-Bulushi marks the twentieth anniversary of the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania with a reflection on their legacy for the securitization of much of the African continent. Based on extensive field research in Kenya (supported by SSRC’s Dissertation Proposal Development and International Dissertation Research Fellowships), she analyzes the extension of American and European military presences in the region, the Kenyan military’s role in Somalia, and the ways in which police forces target Muslim citizens under the banner of antiterrorism. Even aid agencies and civil society organizations, Al-Bulushi argues, contribute to the discourse and practice of “countering violent extremism” with serious consequences.
Democracy, Development and Governance
Mali’s Upcoming Presidential Elections: What Prospects for Peace and Security?