Peace and Security Council Report No 43
This month our researchers in Addis Ababa, Dakar, Nairobi and Pretoria have produced country analyses on Kenya and Mali as well as two PSC retrospective articles, one on women and children in armed conflict and the other on the recent AU summit in Addis Ababa.
The focus of the country analysis on Kenya is on the forthcoming elections. The article identifies the parties, new coalitions and political leaders that will be contesting the elections in March, concluding that while a peaceful result is possible, concerns remain that violence might ensue as occurred in 2007-2008.
The retrospective article on women and children in armed conflict asks why Africa’s leaders and regional institutions, particularly the AU African Union Commission (AUC), have not taken the protection of women and children more seriously and urges that instead of expecting the United Nations to deal with the problem, the AUC should take the lead. The country analysis on Mali provides an update of developments in Mali and highlights the humanitarian crisis in this troubled region.
The retrospective article about the 20th AU summit in January this year provides a useful overview and analysis of the deliberations and major agenda items of the first summit to be presided over by the AUC’s new Chair, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
Duke Kent-Brown (Editor)
