Africa Regional Programming
The Peacemakers Network has a strong regional focus on Africa, with more than 40% of its members that are located in the continent. The regional programme began with a historical focus on the Horn and East Africa region and since then, the programme has expanded to include countries within other sub-regions in the continent including Southern, Central, and West Africa. The Peacemakers Network is implementing its strategy in the region by supporting locally driven and relevant initiatives for conflict prevention and resolution, peacebuilding, and national and local reconciliation through holistic and inclusive approaches.
The Peacemakers Network acknowledges that sustainable peace and reconciliation cannot be achieved and maintained without efforts to prevent eruption of violent conflicts, engage local actors especially leveraging the positive role of religious and traditional leaders in peacebuilding processes, and ensure the promotion of rights of all faith groups, women, youth, and minorities.
Photo: Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland, the Peacemakers Network, and religious and traditional leaders and actors from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso share a group photo at the Sahel Workshop in Dakar, Senegal.
Thematic Priorities of the Africa Regional Programme
Although the region has been recording steady economic growth, several challenges persist including political instability, conflicts and security issues, recurrent and protracted food crises, climate change and environmental degradation.
The thematic priorities aim to address such challenges.
1. National and local reconciliation.
2. Preventing and transforming violent extremism through evidence-based responses, community resilience and building trust.
3. Freedom of Religion and Belief.
4. Inclusivity of women, youth, people with disabilities, and marginalized groups in peacebuilding processes.
5. Regional and national level mediation and dialogue processes, focusing on connecting tract 2 and 3 actors.
6. Promoting the role of religious and traditional actors in peacebuilding and building their capacities on conflict prevention, mediation, and dialogue.
7. Conflicts as a result of climate change and natural resource management through the lens of climate justice.
The Sub-Saharan Africa Working Group
In 2021, the Peacemakers Network initiated a Sub-Saharan Africa working group to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing and networking between peace actors in the region. The themes and contents of the working group sessions are decided based on the feedback from the members. The working group meets three times a year online.
Interested to join?
Meet the 2025 Sub-Saharan Africa Working Group Steering Committee
Join the next SSA WG meeting!
March 2025 – Seeds of Peace: The Power of Peace Education [Read the highlights]
Research Highlights
Read more: Great Wealth, Few Beneficiaries, Local Perceptions of Natural Resource Management in Mozambique
Read more: Supporting Efforts of Engaging with Local Religions & Traditional Leaders in Burkina Faso & Mali
Read more: Knowledge Gaps on Religious Literacy and Constitutional Rights in Kenya
Programming and
Consortia Projects
Click through our projects below to learn more about our peacebuilding work in Africa.
Reconciliation in Somalia
[Ongoing] Building the capacity of the Somali Government and supporting the inclusion and leadership of women in peace processes in Somalia.
CSC – The Community Social Cohesion: Strengthening Social Cohesion in Cabo Delgado and Nisassa
[Ongoing] Providing technical expertise and capacity support on conflict prevention, interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding, and social cohesion in Mozambique.
JISRA – Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action
[Ongoing] Working with religious communities to challenge discrimination & extremist tendencies and engaging with local, national and international authorities for state action towards religious freedom.
TIPS – Towards a Peaceful and Inclusive Society in Mozambique
[Complete] Strengthening the leadership and capacities of civil society actors as well as preventing and addressing natural resource-based conflicts in Mozambique.
ID-Peace – Interreligious Dialogue for Peace and Social Cohesion in Mozambique
[Complete] Reducing inter-and-intra-communal tensions and-related religious freedom abuses by strengthening social cohesion and religious tolerance in Mozambique.
Central African Republic
[Complete] Supporting Muslim and Christian communities in contributing to a more peaceful nation.
Religious Minorities in Kenya: Overoming Divides & Respecting Rights
[Complete] Addressing problems affecting full enjoyment of rights by Muslim minorities and the African Traditional Religions in Kenya.
Africa Members of the Peacemakers Network
Burundi
Cameroon
| Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Liberia
Mozambique
Nigeria
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
View full membership
Recent News
Investing in Local Voices for Peace is Essential as Central Africa Republic Prepares for Its 2025 Electoral Cycle
As the Central Africa Republic approaches its 2025 national and local elections, democratic resilience must be built from within…
Seeds of Peace: The Power of Peace Education in Africa
Peace education is emerging as a vital tool for fostering stability and coexistence in regions affected by conflict. The recent Africa Working Group…
Promoting Religious Pluralism: JISRA Training on Islam and Freedom of Religion and Belief
Building on their deep knowledge on diversity and pluralism from an Islamic perspective, participants were equipped with…
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