Events

Rida Lyammouri, Senior Fellow at Policy Center for the New South, will be speaking at the virtual conversation with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the RESOLVE Network that’s part of the sixth annual RESOLVE Global Forum Series.

Community-based armed groups in Sub-Saharan Africa tend to emerge where official security actors lack reach, resources or trust from the public. Often formed along socioeconomic, ethnic or political lines, these groups depend on popular support and often cooperate with state security forces or other armed groups, presenting a complex challenge to communities, governments and development practitioners. With escalating conflicts across the continent, we need to better understand how community-based armed groups impact the wider conflict ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Are they part of the problem or the solution? And could hybrid security — where non-state actors co-produce justice and security — be a viable alternative to state governance?

The discussion will examine community-driven security and the role of local armed groups in conflict ecosystems, as well as look at women’s contributions to formal and informal community-based security, conflict resolution, governance and rule of law mechanisms.

This event is taking place virtually on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 9:30 am - 11:00 am (EST)