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Dépêche du Forum de Dakar sur la paix et la sécurité

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Regina Ouattara, ancien Point Focal Régional de GENSAC pour l’Afrique Francophone

Photo: IHA Photo (Daily Sabah)

L’article a été écrit par Regina Ouattara (Burkina Faso), ancien Point Focal Régional de GENSAC pour l’Afrique Francophone. Le voyage et la participation pour le forum de Dakar ont été financés par GENSAC. Les vues et opinions exprimées dans cet article sont celles de l’auteur.

La huitième édition du Forum International de Dakar sur la paix et la sécurité en Afrique s’est tenu les 24 et 25 octobre 2022 avec pour thème : « L’Afrique à l’épreuve des chocs exogènes : défis de stabilité et de souveraineté ». Ce rendez-vous annuel d’échanges et de réflexion sur la paix et a sécurité en Afrique a regroupé des chefs d’État et de gouvernement, des représentants d’institutions interafricaines et internationales, des ONGs, des Organisations de la Société Civile, des chercheurs et du secteur privé. Cette édition placée sous la présidence de son Excellence Macky SALL, Président de la République du Sénégal a mis à l’honneur l’Afrique lusophone la participation entre autres personnalités, le président angolais Joao Lourenço et de son homologue cap-verdien José Maria Neves. La France, principal partenaire de l’événement avec le Japon, est représentée par la secrétaire d’État chargée du Développement et de la Francophonie Chrysoula Zacharopoulou. Parmi les ministres des Affaires étrangères annoncés figurent ceux du Mali, de la Guinée ou encore de la Turquie.

Défis de stabilité et dynamique de paix : regarder en face les réalités de l’Afrique

C’est dans un contexte de l’expansion de la menace terroriste, de la recrudescence des coups d’État répétés en Afrique de l’Ouest, de l’ingérence politico-militaire étrangère, des effets combinés du changement climatique et de la COVID-19, ainsi que de la guerre entre la Russie et l’Ukraine, que le Forum de Dakar s’est tenu en offrant aux participants l’opportunité de regarder les réalités du continent en face et de réfléchir aux réponses idoines et urgentes.

Parmi les sujets abordés, se trouvent en bonne place la réforme du secteur de la sécurité ainsi que la coopération militaire entre l’Afrique et ses partenaires.

 « Pourquoi aller toujours chercher des solutions à l’extérieur ? ».

Dès l’ouverture du forum, une série de panels de haut niveau animée par diverses personnalités a permis de situer clairement les responsabilités des pays africains, notamment l’incapacité de certains États d’assumer la protection de leurs populations et de créer de conditions minimales de paix et de stabilité pour un développement inclusif et durable. Cependant, il est ressorti également des échanges que le multilatéralisme, avec ses erreurs congénitales, ne permet pas au continent africain de jouir de toutes ses capacités ni de renforcer lesdites capacités afin de pouvoir faire face aux chocs autant endogènes qu’exogènes.

Si, lors des premières éditions du forum, les participants africains réclamaient un engagement des partenaires internationaux sur le continent, à présent, les États africains affirment désormais leur volonté d’être à la manœuvre, d’autant plus que les opérations extérieures ont montré leurs limites pour la sécurisation du continent.

Les participants au forum demandent aux partenaires internationaux de se montrer solidaires en fournissant aux Etats africains un appui logistique et financier, car il revient aux États africains de trouver des solutions appropriées aux différents problèmes sur leur sol. C’est une approche qui marque un tournant, ou encore une évolution de doctrine sans pour autant rompre avec les partenaires techniques et financiers dont l’appui demeure très important dans le contexte actuel, où la menace terroriste gagne du terrain en Afrique de l’Ouest.

Il a été clairement dénoncé la non présence de l’Afrique, berceau de l’Humanité, dans les hautes instances de délibérations politiques et sécuritaires qui se combine à son absence insensée dans les instances de décisions économiques accentuant sa marginalisation.

Par ailleurs, il a été émis au cours des discussions, l’idée de repenser les relations internationales avec une Afrique épanouie qui profite pleinement de ses potentialités, la suggestion a été faite d’intégrer l’Afrique parmi les membres permanents du conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, et cela se justifie bien dans la mesure où cette instance a été mise en place à l’issue de la deuxième guerre mondiale, soit quinze (15) ans avant l’indépendance des pays africains, au moment où ceux-ci étaient associés aux puissances coloniales. La difficulté majeure en actuellement est qu’il faudrait que les États africains puissent s’accorder sur le choix d’un représentant car en réalité, des rivalités persistent entre les plus grandes puissances du continent telles que l’Afrique du Sud, le Nigeria, l’Égypte et l’Algérie.

Certaines questions ou doléances n’ont pu avoir des réponses satisfaisantes à cette huitième édition du forum de Dakar. Par exemple, le Président Sénégalais Macky Sall a saisi la tribune du forum pour relancer le plaidoyer pour une réforme de la gouvernance mondiale afin d’y associer l’Afrique et assurer une “mise à jour” de la doctrine des opérations de maintien de la paix “intégrant pleinement la lutte contre le terrorisme”. Il s’agit là du renouvellement d’une ancienne sollicitation car de nombreux chefs d’États africains jugent la force de maintien de paix peu efficace et souhaiteraient que les casques bleus soient officiellement habilités à combattre les terroristes. Sur le terrain, l’efficacité de la force de maintien de la paix est certes limitée, surtout pour la protection des civils. Malheureusement, l’ONU n’est pas une armée de guerre. Les casques bleus ont pour rôle sur le terrain de favoriser la mise en place des accords de paix. Par conséquent, ils doivent afficher la neutralité et l’impartialité, ce qui est incompatible avec la lutte antiterroriste.

Consolider la souveraineté de l’Afrique

Durant les deux jours des travaux du forum, des plénières ont été couplés d’ateliers portant sur des thèmes diversifiés et orientant la réflexion sur le renforcement de la souveraineté des Etats.

Suite à une séance plénière sur les crises globales et de souverainetés en Afrique, les discussions se sont poursuivies dans divers atelier portant sur :

  • Coopération entre l’Afrique et ses partenaires dans les domaines de la défense et de la sécurité
  • Place du secteur privé dans la construction de nouvelles souveraineté en Afrique (énergétique, alimentaire, numérique, etc.)
  • Jeunesse, citoyenneté et souveraineté : les défis de l’éducation et de la formation

Le forum a saisi, une nouvelle fois, l’occasion qu’offre, de manière exceptionnelle avec la présence des pays comme la France, le Japon, l’Arabie Saoudite, etc., pour lancer un vibrant appel à mieux impliquer l’Afrique qui doit prendre toute sa place pour le renforcement de la démocratie, de la souveraineté et du progrès.

 « Si le continent est devenu, aujourd’hui, un des épicentres du terrorisme, c’est bien, parce que le fléau est alimenté par la criminalité transfrontalière, la prolifération illégale des armes, les flux financiers et trafics illicites de tout genre et la participation de combattants étrangers ».

L’un des points forts des discussions du forum a été les dérives du numérique qui constituent aujourd’hui une des menaces les plus sérieuses à la paix, à la sécurité à la stabilité et à la souveraineté des pays africains, menaces d’autant plus difficiles à combattre qu’elles sont diffuses et protéiformes. Ainsi, la cybercriminalité classique s’ajoute à la frénésie quotidienne des réseaux sociaux devenus une fabrique massive de fake news et de manipulation. Les participants ont eu alors l’opportunité de discuter de l’urgence à renforcer les moyens de lutte contre la cybercriminalité.

La huitième édition du forum international pour la paix et la sécurité a tenu ses promesses à l’instar des éditions précédentes. Ce rendez-vous annuel est un véritable incubateur de projets de transformation sociale sur la base de dialogue ouvert. La mémoire collective se souvient encore que l’Ecole de cyber sécurité de Dakar à vocation régionale est le produit d’une édition précédente du forum international de Dakar. Il convient que les africains maintiennent la flamme de cette rencontre annuelle

Dispatch from the Dakar Forum on Peace and Security

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By Regina Ouattara, former GENSAC Regional Focal Point for Francophone Africa

Photo: IHA Photo (Daily Sabah)

The article was written by Regina Ouattara (Burkina Faso), former GENSAC Regional Focal Point for Francophone Africa. Travel and participation to the Dakar was sponsored by GENSAC. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

The eighth edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa was held on 24-25 October, 2022 under the theme: “Africa in the face of exogenous shocks: challenges of stability and sovereignty.” This annual meeting of exchange and reflection on peace and security issues in Africa brought together Heads of State and Government, and the representatives of inter-African and international institutions, NGOs, civil society organizations, researchers and the private sector. This year’s edition of the Forum, under the auspice of H.E. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, honored Portuguese-speaking Africa with the participation of, among others, the Angolan President Joao Lourenço and his Cape Verdean counterpart José Maria Neves. France, the main partner of the event together with Japan, was represented by the Secretary of State for Development and Francophonie Chrysoula Zacharopoulou. Among other attendees were also foreign ministers of Mali, Guinea, and Turkey.

Challenges of Stability and Peace Dynamics: Facing the Realities of Africa

The Dakar Forum was held against the backdrop of the growing threat of terrorism, the resurgence of repeated coups d’état in West Africa, foreign politico-military interference, the combined effects of climate change and the COVID-19, and the war between Russia and Ukraine. This setting offering gave participants an opportunity to face the realities of the continent and to reflect on appropriate and urgent responses.

Among the topics discussed were security sector reform issues and military cooperation between Africa and its partners.

“Why always go looking for solutions outside?

At the opening of the forum, a series of high-level panels moderated by various personalities, focused the discussion on the responsibilities of African governments; in particular on their inability in some cases to protect their populations and to create minimal conditions necessary for peace and stability as well as for inclusive and sustainable development. However, it also emerged from the discussions that multilateral system, with its inherent drawbacks, prevents the African continent from developing and strengthening its capacities in order to be able to cope with both external and internal shocks.

If, during the early editions of the forum, the African participants clamored for greater engagement of international partners on the continent, now, the African governments affirmed their willingness to take the lead. Especially since the external interventions have shown their limits in securing peace on the continent.

The forum participants asked from the international partners to show solidarity by providing African states with logistical and financial support. Leaving it up to the African governments to find appropriate solutions to the various problems on their soil. This is an approach that marks a turning point, or an evolution, of an existing doctrine without breaking relations with technical and financial partners whose support remains very important in the current context as the terrorist threat is gaining ground in West Africa.

The participants also denounced that Africa, the cradle of humanity, is not present in the world’s most important political and security deliberations. This, combined with its senseless absence in the economic decision-making bodies, has only further accentuated its marginalization.

Furthermore, during the discussions, the idea was put forward to rethink international relations with a flourishing Africa that takes full advantage of its potential. The suggestion was made to integrate Africa among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. This body was set up at the end of the Second World War, that is to say fifteen years before the independence of African countries which were at the time under colonial domination. The major difficulty, however, remains that the African states are not able to agree on the choice of a representative for a single African seat. In reality, rivalries persist between the continent’s biggest powers such as South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Algeria.

Some questions or grievances could not be satisfactorily answered at this eighth edition of the Dakar Peace Forum. For example, Senegalese President Macky Sall used the forum’s podium to re-launch his plea for a reform of global governance in order to involve Africa and secure an “update” to the doctrine of peacekeeping operations in order to “fully integrating the fight against terrorism.” This is a repetition of a familiar request made by many other African Heads of State who consider the peacekeeping force to be ineffective and would like to see the blue helmets officially empowered to fight terrorists. On the ground, the effectiveness of the peacekeeping force is certainly limited, especially in protecting civilians. Unfortunately, the UN peacekeepers are not a standing army. The role of peacekeepers on the ground is to support the implementation of peace agreements. Therefore, they must display neutrality and impartiality, which is incompatible with the fight against terrorism.

Consolidating Africa’s sovereignty

During the two days of work of the Forum, plenary sessions were coupled with workshops on various issues and focused on themes such as strengthening of state sovereignty.

After a plenary discussion on global crises and sovereignty in Africa, dialogues continued in various workshops on topics such as:

  • Cooperation between Africa and its partners in the fields of defense and security
  • The place of the private sector in the construction of new sovereignty in Africa (energy, food, digital, etc.)
  • Youth, citizenship and sovereignty: the challenges of education and training.

The forum has seized, once again, the opportunity offered by the presence of countries such as France, Japan, Saudi Arabia, etc., to launch a vibrant appeal to better engaged African countries which are ready to shoulder more responsibility in strengthening global democracy, sovereignty, and progress.

“If the continent has become, today, one of the epicenters of terrorism, it is because this scourge is fueled by cross-border crime, the illegal proliferation of weapons, financial flows and illicit trafficking of all kinds and the participation of foreign fighters.”

One of the Forum’s highlights was the discussion about the digital violence that are now one of the most serious threats to peace, security, stability and sovereignty of African countries; threats that are all the more difficult to combat because they are diffuse and ever-changing. Thus, cybercrime is added to the daily frenzy of social networks that have become a massive factory of fake news and manipulation. The participants discussed the urgency to strengthen the ways to fight against these issues.

The eighth edition of the Forum delivered on its promises just like the previous editions. This annual meeting is a real incubator of social transformation projects based on open dialogue. Many will still recall that projects such as the Dakar Cyber Security School has come out of the previous edition of the Dakar International Forum. It is important that Africans keep the flame of this annual meeting alive.

GENSAC in 2021

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Despite a challenging year, the Gender Equality Network for Small Arms Control presses on!

By NYU CIC

One year ago, over 100 experts — (mostly) women — gathered in Berlin to discuss how to take small arms control forward. Activated by the urgency of this issue — having seen the shortcomings of the conventional approaches to disarmament, increasing social unrest and violence, and weapons sales going up in many countries — the formation of the Gender Equality Network for Small Arms Control (GENSAC) was a response to the need for new thinking and collaboration on small arms control. Indeed, with its first gathering coinciding with devastating news of a mass shooting in Hanau, Germany — which again underscored the dangers of violent extremism and guns — the launch of GENSAC with Germany’s generous support and active collaboration, was both relevant and timely.

GENSAC was launched just before the world as we knew it was about to change. During its official launch in Berlin, news of COVID-19 was just beginning to trickle in for an international group of women and men gender and security champions from the W. Balkans, Africa and LAC.

The meeting gathered practitioners who operate in the security, development, and gender justice sectors. We discussed how the conventional approaches to disarmament had failed to address the gendered dimensions of small arms and the connection between small arms and violence against women. This failure, far from being accidental, is linked to the low participation and representation of women in disarmament fora. GENSAC was initiated to address that issue: to advance gender-responsive small arms control, and promote the meaningful participation and representation of women in small arms decision making.

Since then, the virus has changed all aspects of our lives. Patterns of violence have been changing across the world, increased risk of social unrest breaking into violence. Data shows that violence against women has considerably surged since the beginning of the pandemic. Calls for new approaches in order to stop rates of violent death from increasing globally by 2030 are more urgent than ever. Gun violence also continues to claim many lives, both in the streets and inside homes.

In Berlin, GENSAC members proposed efforts to contain the problems of violence should, at their core, focus on gender responsive small arms control. We published an Action paper based on a thorough review of the evidence and a broad range of consultations with the community of global experts in small arms control and gender, and proposed seven practical strategies to take the work forward.

One year on, the challenges we face and how the international community goes about addressing urgent issues has changed, as well. GENSAC, too, has changed how we communicate across regions and cultures; how we share best-practices; how we create space for advocacy, and support those doing the frontline work.

We have held a series of webinars with our members and partners to discuss the impact of the pandemic on the proliferation of small arms and violence against women. We have also rallied our male allies in a discussion about their role in gender responsive small arms control. Our experts agree that the pandemic has deepened existing inequalities and vulnerabilities in the different regions. Yet, there is insufficient data available on the gendered aspect of the violence that has resulted from this pandemic. To address this, GENSAC has developed a research strategy which will include the publication of issue briefs and reflection pieces aimed at collecting disaggregated data and best practices on gender responsive and small arms control, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We intend to work with our members to involve more arms control stakeholders at grassroots and national levels in our collective effort to advance gender-responsive small arms control.

GENSAC’s one year anniversary coincides with the upcoming celebration of International Women’s Day. This year we are partnering with women’s movements and peace advocates in over a dozen countries to disseminate the second edition of our Action Paper, which has been revised to reflect the gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small arms control.

The task at hand is challenging, but our steadfast commitment to supporting gender champions working daily to save lives, prevent harm, and make their communities peaceful, remains unchanged.

In our second year, we look forward to GENSAC becoming an even more agile and dynamic platform for knowledge exchanges and

  • We are committed to working with our partners to distribute their cutting-edge research and knowledge far and wide. We look forward to engaging our members in knowledge production and relying on them for insights on the emerging problems of gun violence they are witnessing in their communities.
  • We will better support our members. With the appointment of three regional focal points, enhanced communications, and upcoming training and capacity development opportunities, we hope to provide tangible opportunities to those advancing gender responsive small arms control on the frontlines — be they CSO members, activists, academics, or policymakers.
  • We will continue to invest in decentralized strategies. We will support local and regional activities in light of limited travel opportunities. Despite being grounded, we will work to preserve the cross-regional character of GENSAC, and come up with alternative ways of facilitating those exchanges.
  • We will loudly advocate, in collaboration with partners such as IANSA, for the inclusion of gender responsive small arms control policy in the multilateral policy space. Key events such as the UN Disarmament Week, BMS6, ATT Conference of State Parties have been postponed or are taking place in a modified format. We will rely on digital campaigns and new ways of conducting advocacy to ensure that GENSAC members can still influence these political processes and their outcomes.

We will meet again. Our signature annual conference will take place, conditions permitting and most likely in a hybrid format, later in the year. Many members have told us how energizing our launch in Berlin was. Some reconnected with colleagues they had not seen in a while. Others expanded their professional networks and felt a sense of solidarity with women from other parts of the world facing similar challenges. Many reported gaining new insights and ideas for their work.

The pandemic has taken — and continues to take — many things from us, including loved ones. We are aware that the recovery will be strenuous and long. Nonetheless, we remain resolute in our commitment to stop the epidemic of gun violence that has been with us for even longer.