The AU and the drive for mediation support

This report recommends ways in which the AU can make the best use of its Mediation Support Unit.

In the past 15 years mediation support structures have proliferated throughout the world. While mediation is effective in preventing and peacefully resolving conflicts there has been little focus on building the capacity to develop a unified approach to it. The AU must ensure that the African Union Mediation Support Unit, which was established in 2016, responds effectively to increasing demands for mediation. This report recommends ways in which the AU can make the best use of the unit.

About the authors

Manuel Bustamante holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, US, where he was a fellow of the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts. His work with ISS was part of the Open Society Internship for Rights and Governance.

Gustavo de Carvalho is a Senior Researcher at the ISS. He holds a Master’s in African Studies from the University of Oxford.

Picture: Adapted from Andrew Moore/Flickr