Democracy & Peace

  • 29 Sep 2016

    Mali: No peace in sight

    Country: 
    Mali
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Terrorism
    Members: 
    France
    Body: 
    The 29 September 2016 report of the UN Secretary General on the situation in Mali presents a bleak appraisal of the past three months. It barely masks the widespread frustration over the continued lack of concrete progress in the peace agreement’s implementation. Problems include: violations of the ceasefire in the Kidal region; inter-communal clashes in the Mopti region; attacks against United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), etc. Read on
  • 02 Aug 2016

    Benin celebrates Independence Day; official visit to Nigeria

    Country: 
    Benin
    Nigeria
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Regional integration
    Body: 
    The Republic of Benin celebrated its 56th year of Independence on 1 August. The national celebrations offered an opportunity for the newly elected president, Patrice Talon, who has been in power since 6 April 2016, to reaffirm his electoral commitments: institutional reform, economic recovery and an new dynamic overall to boost democracy in the country. President Talon is notably planning to organise a referendum to decide on the introduction of a single presidential mandate in the Constitution. Read on
  • 13 Jul 2016

    Security Council reviews situation in the Sahel

    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Development co-operation
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Body: 
    On 11 July, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), delivered his first Security Council briefing on West Africa and the Sahel since the merging of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel (OSES), establishing UNOWAS. Read on
  • 28 Jun 2016

    West Africa: Investing in peace

    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Sahara-Sahel
    Security
    Terrorism
    Members: 
    Switzerland
    Body: 
    The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the International Peace Institute (IPI) and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of the Swiss Confederation, organised a high-level meeting on the theme "Investing in peace and the prevention of violence in West Africa and the Sahel-Sahara" from 27 to 28 June in Dakar. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the causes of violence in West African societies and to identify ways to address them. Read on
  • 05 May 2016

    International mission urges credible elections in The Gambia

    Country: 
    Gambia
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Members: 
    ECOWAS
    Body: 
    ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations have jointly appealed for a credible, inclusive and peaceful presidential election in The Gambia. The three organisations undertook a joint mission to consult with Gambian stakeholders ahead of the election scheduled for December 2016. Read on
  • 28 Apr 2016

    Côte d’Ivoire: UN ends sanctions, plans withdrawal of peacekeepers

    Country: 
    Côte d'Ivoire
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Security
    Body: 
    Citing progress in national reconciliation and social cohesion, the United Nations Security Council voted to end sanctions against Côte d'Ivoire and endorsed a plan for the withdrawal of the international peacekeeping mission. The 15-member Council also adopted resolution 2284 (2016) to renew the mandate of the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) for a final period until the end of June 2017. Read on
  • 10 Apr 2016

    Chad: Idriss Deby could clinch a fifth presidential term

    Country: 
    Chad
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Body: 
    The first round of the presidential election in Chad was held on Sunday, 10 April. Some 6.3 million voters were called to vote in the 18 000 polling stations across the territory, and for the first time, a biometric system was put in place for the identification of voters. Incumbent President Idriss Deby, candidate of the Patriotic Salvation Movement who has completed four consecutive terms since 1990, could be re-elected for a fifth term in the first round. Read on
  • 04 Apr 2016

    The death penalty in West Africa: Progress and setbacks

    Country: 
    Chad
    Nigeria
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Body: 
    Amnesty International has released its Death Sentences and Executions report for 2015. The review of the situation in West Africa reveals notable differences in how countries in the region view the use of the death penalty both in law and in practice. Read on
  • 01 Apr 2016

    ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau ends mandate

    Country: 
    Guinea-Bissau
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Security
    Members: 
    ECOWAS
    Body: 
    After four years of military presence in the smallest West African country, the 600-strong ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB) will end its mandate on 30 June 2016. The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff (CCDS) gathered on 23 March in Abuja to conceive a comprehensive exit strategy Read on
  • 23 Mar 2016

    Niger election: persisting fragility

    Country: 
    Niger
    Topics: 
    Democracy & Peace
    Resilience
    Body: 
    After a controversial and unsurprising second round, the re-election of Mahamadou Issoufou to the presidency is confirmed; according to the provisional results, Mahamadou Issoufou gained 92.98% of the vote, with an estimated voter turnout of 59.79% (compared to 66.8% during the first round). The results of the first round gave the upper hand to the incumbent with 48.3% of the vote, well ahead of his competitor, Hama Amadou, a former National Assembly president currently hospitalised in Paris, who had obtained 17.7% of the vote. Read on

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