Question And Answer
Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
Toward Resolving Chad’s Interlocking Conflicts
The fragility of the Chadian government, as well as the fragmentation among Chadian civil society, political parties, and rebel movements, poses significant challenges that Chadian civil society, regional governments, African institutions and the international community must address with a coordinated strategy. Although the situation in the country is often examined through the lens of the Darfur crisis, several internal factors drive the instability in Chad and its regional actions.
Building Blocks for Citizenship and a Peaceful Transition in Sudan
Sudan’s upcoming elections in 2009 raise hopes and concerns for the country’s future. According to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005 between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Sudan is scheduled to hold national and state level elections in 2009.
Negotiating Peace in Darfur
As the planned deployment of a hybrid African Union and UN peacekeeping force gets underway, many issues regarding Darfur remain unsolved. What are the conflict's roots? What obstacles bar resolution of the conflict? How has Sudan violated international norms in this conflict?
Engaging the Darfur Diaspora for Peace
A group of leaders of the Darfurian diaspora in North America recently convened at USIP to explore solutions for their troubled homeland. Their recommendations will be taken into account in future peace consultations.
To Save South Sudan, Put it on Life Support
South Sudan marked its fifth anniversary as a state this month not with celebrations but with rival armed factions shooting at each other in the streets of the capital. Several hundred people were killed in less than a week, tens of thousands displaced, and even sacrosanct U.N. camps protecting civilians were attacked. South Sudan ceased to perform even the minimal functions and responsibilities of a sovereign state long ago, and today the likelihood of a larger pogrom and escalating civil war is high.
Africa Peacekeeping: Lessons from a Ghanaian Commander
For peacekeeping forces in Africa, the days of simply patrolling a ceasefire line or keeping local armies apart are over. Their assignments today increasingly include protecting civilians, confronting violent extremism and even engaging in what amounts to counter insurgency. These new burdens demand better preparation of troops headed for missions and clearer thinking by those who send them, Ghanaian Army Colonel Emanuel Kotia, a leading trainer of African peacekeepers, said at a U.S. Institute of Peace forum.
South Sudan’s Independence Day: No Cause for Celebration
South Sudan, the world’s youngest state, marks four years of independence on July 9. But many South Sudanese, who struggled for that statehood for decades, are finding nothing to celebrate. When they won independence in 2011, the 11 million South Sudanese hoped that their new nation would let them develop their land in peace. Instead, it has plunged into civil war.
USIP: In Review and Looking Forward (Video)
From a campaign for peaceful elections in Afghanistan to a radio program engaging youth in South Sudan, USIP worked with civil society, political leaders and others in 2014 on a range of actions to prevent, mitigate or resolve violent conflict during a particularly chaotic year in global affairs. Top USIP experts discuss highlights of the year and glance ahead at 2015.
U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit: What Did It Achieve?
Two months after the White House invited 50 heads of state to Washington for the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on Aug. 4-6, observers on both continents are asking, “What did the summit achieve, and how will any gains made be leveraged?” USIP asked several prominent Africans who have worked with the Institute over the years for their reflections.
South Sudan’s Religious Unity Can Help Heal Wounds of Violence
South Sudan is a country that originated from the throes of conflict with religious overtones. Yet the constructive role of religious leaders during the new fighting that began more than a month ago is a reminder that they can play a critical part in getting the country back on a path to peace.