Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

Managing Forced Displacement in Africa

How Collective Efforts Can More Effectively Address the Surge of Refugees and Displaced Persons

Date: Thursday, May 23, 2019 / Time: 9:00am - 11:00am 

Center: Middle East North Africa Center

Read the Event Coverage
Share This
Print the Page

Africa hosts more than one-third of the world’s refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs)—many of whom are fleeing ongoing conflicts in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. This growing phenomenon impacts not only those fleeing conflict, but also the host communities and countries who now face complex logistical and humanitarian challenges. A comprehensive response to this problem must seek to address root causes, thereby preventing further displacement, and also find durable solutions for the many millions already displaced.

Human migration is a natural, constant process and contributes to the development of cultures and economies. But when displacement is forced—whether by violent conflict, poor governance, or environmental factors such as natural disasters or drought—the displaced often find themselves traumatized and vulnerable to physical and economic insecurity. And for those who live in refugee camps and host communities, the conditions are as diverse as the issues that drive displacement. That’s why, in acknowledgement of both the challenges of displacement and the leadership roles played by African countries that host refugees, the African Union has named 2019 the year of refugees, IDPs and returnees.

The U.S. Institute of Peace, the African Diplomatic Corps, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a discussion on forced displacement in Africa. The panel conversation highlighted African policy responses to displacement at the national, regional, and continental level, discuss current and anticipated challenges, and brainstorm innovative approaches. Follow the conversation with #AfricaDayUSIP.

Speakers

H.E. Soorooj Phokeer, opening remarks
Ambassador of the Republic of Mauritius

Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), opening remarks
U.S. Representative from California

Carol Thompson O’Connell, opening remarks
Acting Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State

H.E. Mathilde Mukantabana
Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda

H.E. Wilson Mutagaywa Kajumula Masilingi
Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania

H.E Mull Ssebujja Katende
Ambassador of the Republic of Uganda

Matthew Reynolds
Regional Representative of the UN Refugee Agency for the United States of America and the Caribbean, UNHCR

Ger Duany
Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the East and Horn of Africa, UNHCR

The Honorable Nancy Lindborg, moderator
President & CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace

Related Publications

China, Philippines Have Big Disagreements Over Their Recent Deal

China, Philippines Have Big Disagreements Over Their Recent Deal

Thursday, July 25, 2024

By: Andrew Scobell, Ph.D.;  Daniel Spinelli;  Brian Harding;  Carla Freeman, Ph.D.;  Lyndi Tsering;  Dean Cheng

China and the Philippines this weekend reached a deal aimed at reducing their growing tensions over Second Thomas Shoal. The agreement comes as maritime confrontations have been increasing in frequency and intensity, raising fears of a broader conflict that could lead to the Philippines invoking its mutual defense treaty with the United States. While the deal could be a key step to reducing tensions, messaging from both Beijing and Manila suggests that both sides still firmly maintain their positions on the disputed waters, and that they see the agreement’s provisions in fundamentally different ways.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

What the Houthi-Israel Exchange Might Mean for Escalation in the Middle East

What the Houthi-Israel Exchange Might Mean for Escalation in the Middle East

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

By: Garrett Nada;  Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen;  Robert Barron

The Middle East saw yet another escalatory episode over the weekend, as Israel and Yemen’s Houthis exchanged fire. On July 19, the Iran-backed Houthis launched an unprecedented drone attack on Israel, which hit an apartment building in downtown Tel Aviv, killing one and injuring at least 10 others. It was the first time that the Houthis killed or even harmed an Israeli, despite launching dozens of missile attacks on Israel since October 7. The next day, Israel struck back with an airstrike on the strategic port of Hodeida, marking the first time it attacked Yemen. The Israeli attack killed six, injured dozens more and left ablaze key oil facilities in the area.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

The Red Sea Crisis Goes Beyond the Houthis

The Red Sea Crisis Goes Beyond the Houthis

Friday, July 19, 2024

By: Ambassador Johnnie Carson;  Alex Rondos;  Susan Stigant;  Michael Woldemariam

The Red Sea is in crisis. At the center of the storm are Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have unleashed a wave of attacks on ships traversing one of the world’s most pivotal maritime straits, putatively in support of Hamas’s war against Israel. The Houthi gambit in the Red Sea is imposing serious costs on global trade, as did the problem of Somali piracy, which reached its peak in 2010. The United States and some of its allies have stepped in to militarily suppress the threat, bombing Houthi positions inside Yemen. But although this episode is illustrative of the difficulties of Red Sea security, the crisis extends far beyond the trouble emanating from Yemen.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

Putting Data Around Intergroup Violence and Sorcery Accusation–Related Violence in Papua New Guinea

Putting Data Around Intergroup Violence and Sorcery Accusation–Related Violence in Papua New Guinea

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

By: Miranda Forsyth;  William Kipongi;  Joe Barak;  Evelyn Malala;  Elizabeth Kopel;  Ibolya Losoncz

This discussion paper provides analysis of newspaper reports from Papua New Guinea around two different but interconnected forms of violence: intergroup violence and sorcery accusation–related violence. The authors conclude that both types of violence are fueled by money politics, the widespread availability of guns and the normalization of violence, the erosion of traditional and local forms of leadership and regulation, and public service delivery failures.

Type: Discussion Paper

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

View All Publications