Where will the conference take place?

The conference will be held in Cape Town, ZAF.

What is the format of the conference?

The conference is an international event designed to facilitate discussions on conflict, peacebuilding, and security in Africa.

When does the conference begin?

The conference is scheduled to begin in the middle of the year.

International Conference on Conflict, Peacebuilding, and Security in Africa (ICCPSA-2026)

Name: International Conference on Conflict, Peacebuilding, and Security in Africa (ICCPSA-2026)
Start: 2026-11-09T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-11-10T00:00:00Z
Location: Cairo

Nov 9–10, 2026Cairo, EgyptIn-person

Registration open

The International Conference on Conflict, Peacebuilding, and Security in Africa (ICCPSA-2026) is set to convene in Cape Town, South Africa. This event provides a platform for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to engage in critical discussions surrounding the multifaceted challenges and opportunities for peace and security across the African continent. The conference aims to foster a deeper understanding of conflict dynamics and explore innovative approaches to peacebuilding. Participants will delve into various aspects of conflict resolution, security sector reform, and sustainable peace initiatives. The gathering in South Africa underscores the continent's central role in shaping its own security architecture and addressing internal and external pressures.

Committees & topics

Topics
Understanding Ethnic Conflict in Africa · Peacebuilding Strategies in Post-Conflict Africa · Governance and Human Rights in Conflict Zones · International Relations and African Security · Transitional Justice Mechanisms in Africa · Mediation and Diplomacy in African Conflicts · State-Building in Post-Conflict Societies · Regional Security Initiatives and Cooperation

Why it matters

The conference is particularly significant given the complex and evolving security landscape in Africa. Conflicts, whether internal or cross-border, have profound implications for human development, economic stability, and regional integration. By bringing together diverse perspectives, ICCPSA-2026 facilitates the exchange of knowledge and best practices essential for developing robust and context-specific solutions.

The discussions will contribute to advancing the discourse on effective governance, rule of law, and the role of international cooperation in supporting African-led peace efforts. Understanding the root causes of instability and promoting inclusive peace processes are paramount for achieving lasting security and prosperity on the continent. The insights generated from this conference can inform policy frameworks and practical interventions aimed at mitigating conflict and fostering resilient societies.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the themes of the conference, participants should undertake a comprehensive review of contemporary conflict theories and peacebuilding methodologies. A strong understanding of the historical context of conflicts in various African regions will be beneficial. Participants should also familiarize themselves with current geopolitical trends impacting African security, including the roles of regional organizations and international actors.

Consider how different theoretical frameworks, such as those explored in the lesson on "Engagement Strategies" or "Understanding Motivations," can be applied to specific African contexts. Preparing case studies or analyses that highlight successful peacebuilding initiatives or persistent challenges will enrich the discussions. Furthermore, an awareness of the diverse perspectives of various stakeholders, as discussed in "Hidden Stakeholders" and through a "Stakeholder Mapping Workshop," will be crucial for constructive dialogue.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

South Africa

As the host nation, ZAF plays a crucial role in facilitating discussions on African peace and security, leveraging its diplomatic influence and experience in regional stability efforts.

Role in topic

ZAF has a history of mediating conflicts and contributing to peacekeeping missions across the continent. Its perspective often emphasizes African-led solutions and regional cooperation in addressing security challenges.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Understanding Ethnic Conflict in Africa

Ethnic conflict in Africa is rooted in the colonial restructuring of identity and territory. European powers at the Berlin Conference (1884-85) drew borders that grouped rival communities into single states while splitting others, and administrative systems such as Belgian rule in Rwanda and Burundi or British indirect rule in Nigeria hardened fluid ethnic categories into rigid political ones. After independence, competition over state power, land, and resource rents frequently took ethnic form, producing flashpoints from the Biafran war (1967-70) to the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the Darfur crisis from 2003 onward. The core dispute is less about cultural difference itself than about how ethnicity is mobilized by political entrepreneurs to control institutions, security forces, and resource flows. Patronage politics, exclusionary citizenship laws (as in Côte d'Ivoire's ivoirité debates), and contested chieftaincies in the Sahel and Great Lakes region continue to convert grievance into violence. Climate stress and pastoralist-farmer competition, notably in Nigeria's Middle Belt and Sudan, have added new pressures. Today, ethnic dimensions remain central to active conflicts in Ethiopia (Tigray, Amhara, Oromia), Sudan, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. The African Union's 2063 Agenda and frameworks like the African Charter on Democracy emphasize inclusive governance, but implementation is uneven and ethnic polarization is intensifying in several states.

Key players

Peacebuilding Strategies in Post-Conflict Africa

Peacebuilding on the continent took shape after the Cold War, as wars in Mozambique, Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda ended through a mix of negotiated settlements, UN missions, and regional interventions. The 1992 UN Agenda for Peace and the establishment of the UN Peacebuilding Commission in 2005 institutionalized the idea that ending violence requires parallel work on security sector reform, DDR (disarmament, demobilization, reintegration), transitional justice, and economic recovery. African experiences shaped global doctrine but also exposed its limits. Sierra Leone and Liberia are often cited as relative successes, while the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Mali, and Libya illustrate the fragility of liberal peacebuilding when elections are rushed, elite bargains are unstable, and external actors withdraw prematurely. The African Union's Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Policy (2006) and the Silencing the Guns initiative explicitly tried to Africanize the agenda. Current debates center on hybrid peacebuilding that integrates customary justice and local reconciliation with state institutions, on financing as donor attention shifts away from Africa, and on how to sequence stabilization with longer-term development in contexts such as the Sahel, the eastern DRC, and post-war Ethiopia.

Key players

Governance and Human Rights in Conflict Zones

Armed conflict in Africa has consistently exposed the link between weak or exclusionary governance and large-scale human rights violations. From apartheid South Africa to the wars in the Great Lakes, the Sahel, and the Horn, civilians have borne the brunt of state collapse, counterinsurgency abuses, and predation by non-state armed groups. International humanitarian law and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (1981) provide the legal architecture, while the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and the ICC have provided some accountability avenues. The core dispute is how to uphold human rights where state authority is contested or abusive. Counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel, Somalia, and northern Mozambique have produced documented abuses by national forces and partner militaries; in Sudan, both the SAF and RSF face credible allegations of war crimes; in eastern DRC, M23 and other groups operate with external backing. Shrinking civic space, coup-installed governments, and the rise of private military contractors complicate monitoring. Today, OHCHR fact-finding missions, AU human rights mechanisms, and civil society documentation efforts confront access restrictions, disinformation, and donor fatigue. Debates focus on conditioning security assistance on rights compliance, protecting humanitarian workers, and ensuring that political transitions in Sudan, the Sahel states, and the Horn do not entrench impunity.

Key players

International Relations and African Security

African security has long been shaped by external powers, from Cold War proxy wars in Angola and the Horn to post-9/11 counter-terrorism partnerships. The early 2000s saw a U.S. and European focus on the Sahel, Somalia, and the Gulf of Guinea, paralleled by China's expanding economic and, increasingly, security footprint, including its first overseas base in Djibouti (2017). France's long-standing military role in West and Central Africa has receded sharply since 2022 amid coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The core dispute is over the terms of external engagement: African states increasingly assert agency through the AU, ECOWAS, and bilateral diversification, while great-power competition between the United States, China, Russia, and Gulf states intensifies. Russia's Africa Corps (successor to Wagner) operates in Mali, CAR, Libya, and elsewhere; the UAE and Saudi Arabia are deeply involved in the Horn and Sudan; Turkey has expanded defense exports and a base in Somalia. Today, the security landscape features the withdrawal of MINUSMA, the dissolution of the G5 Sahel, the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger), and renewed debate over UN-AU financing arrangements under Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023). Maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and Red Sea, and the implications of BRICS expansion for African states, are also central.

Key players

Transitional Justice Mechanisms in Africa

Africa has been a global laboratory for transitional justice. South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1995-98) became a reference model worldwide. Hybrid tribunals such as the Special Court for Sierra Leone, internationalized chambers in Senegal that tried Hissène Habré, and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda shaped international criminal law. Rwanda's gacaca courts and Uganda's mato oput practices highlighted community-based approaches. The core dispute is the balance between criminal accountability, truth-telling, reparations, and political stability. The ICC's heavy early focus on African situations (Uganda, DRC, Sudan, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, Libya, Mali, CAR) generated a backlash and AU calls for collective withdrawal, although only Burundi formally left. African states have simultaneously pushed to expand the African Court's jurisdiction over international crimes via the Malabo Protocol, which has yet to enter into force. Today, transitional justice is on the agenda in Ethiopia, where a national policy was adopted in 2024 amid contested implementation; in The Gambia following its TRRC; in Sudan, where pre-war reform efforts have collapsed; and in CAR, where the Special Criminal Court operates alongside the ICC. Debates focus on victim participation, reparations financing, and sequencing justice with ongoing conflict.

Key players

Mediation and Diplomacy in African Conflicts

Mediation has been central to ending African wars, from the Lancaster House talks on Zimbabwe (1979) to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan (2005), the Arusha process for Burundi, and the IGAD-led South Sudan negotiations. The OAU's reluctance to intervene in internal affairs gave way, with the AU's 2002 founding, to a more interventionist doctrine articulated in Article 4(h) of its Constitutive Act and operationalized through the Panel of the Wise and the Peace and Security Council. The core dispute is over who mediates and on what terms. Regional economic communities — ECOWAS, IGAD, SADC, EAC — often lead, but coordination with the AU and UN is uneven, and great-power and Gulf-state involvement increasingly shapes outcomes, as seen in the parallel Jeddah and IGAD tracks on Sudan. The Pretoria Agreement (2022) ending major hostilities in Tigray was an AU-led success, while ECOWAS mediation faltered after the Sahel coups. Today, mediation efforts span Sudan (US-Saudi-led Jeddah talks, AU roadmap, IGAD), eastern DRC (Luanda and Nairobi processes), Ethiopia (post-Pretoria implementation and Amhara/Oromia tracks), and Libya (UNSMIL). Debates focus on inclusivity of women and civil society under UNSCR 1325, the proliferation of competing tracks, and how to mediate with non-state armed groups and coup regimes.

Key players

State-Building in Post-Conflict Societies

State-building in post-conflict Africa has aimed to rebuild institutions, restore monopoly on the legitimate use of force, and create legitimate political authority after war. Models have ranged from internationally administered transitions (Namibia under UNTAG, post-conflict Mozambique) to power-sharing arrangements (Burundi's Arusha framework, Kenya's 2008 grand coalition) and donor-led reconstruction (Liberia, Sierra Leone, post-2003 DRC). The core dispute is whether external templates focused on elections, market reform, and Weberian institutions fit African political realities, where authority is often hybrid, neopatrimonial, and rooted in customary structures. South Sudan's experience after independence in 2011, Libya's fragmentation after 2011, and Somalia's prolonged federal experiment illustrate how state-building can stall when elite bargains are not durable or when security sector reform is incomplete. Critics argue that exclusion of grassroots actors and rushed elections can entrench instability. Today, state-building is contested in Somalia (federal-member state relations and Al-Shabaab), South Sudan (delayed elections under the 2018 revitalized agreement), Libya (rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi), the Sahel (military regimes recasting state authority), and post-war Ethiopia. Financing for institution-building is shrinking even as demands grow, putting pressure on the AU's PCRD framework and UN Peacebuilding Fund.

Key players

Regional Security Initiatives and Cooperation

African regional security cooperation accelerated after the OAU's transformation into the African Union in 2002 and the establishment of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), including the Peace and Security Council, Continental Early Warning System, Panel of the Wise, and the African Standby Force. Regional economic communities became the operational backbone: ECOWAS in West Africa (notably ECOMOG deployments in Liberia and Sierra Leone), SADC in southern Africa (SAMIM in Mozambique, SAMIDRC in eastern DRC), IGAD in the Horn, and the EAC in the Great Lakes. The core dispute is over capability, financing, and political coherence. The African Standby Force has never been fully deployed as designed; ad hoc coalitions such as the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram, the now-defunct G5 Sahel, and the Alliance of Sahel States have filled the gap. UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) opened the door to UN-assessed funding for AU-led peace operations on a case-by-case basis, a long-standing AU demand, though implementation remains unsettled. Today, regional cooperation is being tested by ECOWAS's confrontation with the Sahel juntas and their subsequent withdrawal, by overlapping mandates in eastern DRC, by ATMIS's drawdown in Somalia, and by maritime security frameworks in the Gulf of Guinea (Yaoundé Code) and the Red Sea. Debates focus on burden-sharing with the UN, interoperability, and the role of non-African partners.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Conflict, Peacebuilding, and Security in Africa (ICCPSA-2026).

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Supreme Court's Voting Rights Impact on 2026

Trump's Federal Election Strategy

Supreme Court VRA Ruling Empowers GOP 2026

Bhagwant Mann Launches Punjab Campaign Summit

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Engagement Strategies

Understanding Motivations

Hidden Stakeholders

Dynamic Analysis

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Multilateral Negotiation

Media & Press Relations

Advanced Negotiation

Frequently asked questions

Free account

Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free.

Create free account

Already a member? Log in

International Conference on Conflict, Peacebuilding, and Security in Africa (ICCPSA-2026)

Nov 9–10, 2026Cairo, EgyptIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Understanding Ethnic Conflict in Africa · Peacebuilding Strategies in Post-Conflict Africa · Governance and Human Rights in Conflict Zones · International Relations and African Security · Transitional Justice Mechanisms in Africa · Mediation and Diplomacy in African Conflicts · State-Building in Post-Conflict Societies · Regional Security Initiatives and Cooperation

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

South Africa

As the host nation, ZAF plays a crucial role in facilitating discussions on African peace and security, leveraging its diplomatic influence and experience in regional stability efforts.

Role in topic

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Understanding Ethnic Conflict in Africa

Key players

Peacebuilding Strategies in Post-Conflict Africa

Key players

Governance and Human Rights in Conflict Zones

Key players

International Relations and African Security

Key players

Transitional Justice Mechanisms in Africa

Key players

Mediation and Diplomacy in African Conflicts

Key players

State-Building in Post-Conflict Societies

Key players

Regional Security Initiatives and Cooperation

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Conflict, Peacebuilding, and Security in Africa (ICCPSA-2026).

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Supreme Court's Voting Rights Impact on 2026

Trump's Federal Election Strategy

Supreme Court VRA Ruling Empowers GOP 2026

Bhagwant Mann Launches Punjab Campaign Summit

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Engagement Strategies

Understanding Motivations

Hidden Stakeholders

Dynamic Analysis

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Multilateral Negotiation

Media & Press Relations

Advanced Negotiation

Egypt November 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

Free account

Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free.

Create free account

Already a member? Log in

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

International Conference on History, Politics and Public Policy (2026)

International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Post-War Reconstruction

International Conference on Political Movements and Historical Perspectives (ICPMHIP-2026)

International Conference on Sociology of Democracy and Political Participation (ICSDPP-2026)

International Conference on Gender Studies, Peace Processes, and Violence Prevention

UfM Economic Forum 2026

Frequently asked questions

Related conferences

International Conference on History, Politics and Public Policy (2026)

International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Post-War Reconstruction

International Conference on Political Movements and Historical Perspectives (ICPMHIP-2026)

International Conference on Sociology of Democracy and Political Participation (ICSDPP-2026)

International Conference on Gender Studies, Peace Processes, and Violence Prevention

UfM Economic Forum 2026