October 28, 2021 at 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Cameroon Time

Venue: Zoom Platform (Register Now)

Background

The Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are regional groupings of African states. The RECs have developed individually and have different roles and structures. Generally, the purpose of the RECs is to facilitate regional economic integration between members of the individual regions and through the wider African Economic Community (AEC), which was established under the Abuja Treaty (1991). The 1980 Lagos Plan of Action for the Development of Africa and the Abuja Treaty proposed the creation of RECs as the basis for more comprehensive African integration, with a view to regional and eventual continental integration. The RECS is increasingly involved in coordinating AU Member States’ interests in broader areas such as peace and security, development and governance.

The essence has been to prevent conflict and promote peace, defence and security through the APSA and RECs. Thus, for peace and security efforts being undertaken by the AU and RECs to be effective, the actors involved should have the requisite capacity and political will and commitment, and cooperation among members and with the international community should remain crucial to the process. It is concerning this backdrop that the Peace and Security Division of the Nkafu Policy Institute seeks to better access and understand the role the RECs are playing in silencing the guns and maintaining peace and security in Africa.

Objectives of the Dialogue

This dialogue aims to involve peace and security experts, stakeholders, and the general public in a discussion that will enable us to examine and assess the role and contribution of the Regional Economic Community of the African Union in silencing the guns and maintaining peace and security in Africa.

Who should participate?

This event is open to peace and security experts, stakeholders and the general public both within and without Cameroon. It will also bring together individuals from the public and private sectors, academia, civil society organisations, youth leaders, journalists, researchers, traditional authorities, religious leaders and human rights activists.

Expected Output

The output will be the production of comprehensive and incisive evidence-based policy recommendations that can be implored by the RECs and the AU’s APSA and/or other bodies when adopting a definitive innovative policy in guaranteeing peace and security in Africa.

Panellists

• Ambassador Abdullahi Mohammed Odowa (PhD), Somali Ambassador to Kuwait
• Professor Annie Barbara Chikwanha (PhD), Senior Lecturer, University of Johannesburg
• Dr Gabila Nubong, Lecturer, Northwest University Pretoria, South Africa

Moderator

• Henri Kouam, Economic Policy Analyst, Nkafu Policy Institute

Organizers

This event will be organized by the Nkafu Policy Institute – a Think Tank at the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation.