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ECOWAS Dialogue and Mediation Handbook Imprint Items and views expressed by the named contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the ECOWAS Commission Consultant Dr Pascal da Rocha ECOWAS Publication Team Mediation Facilitation Division – Mr. Ebenezer Asiedu, Dr Brown Odigie, Ms. Mariame Camara, Mr. Luther Barou Language Editor Chinelo Onwualu Translation to French Fastract Translators Ltd. Design and Layout Diamond media GmbH Printing Immaculate Brand Media Ltd. Special thanks Ms. Yvonne Akpasom, Ms. Lilian Seffer and Mr. Julian Bela Philippi Technical and Financial Support Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) Support Programme to the ECOWAS Commission Supported by germany – ecowas ZUSAMMENARBEIT DEUTSCHLAND – ECOWAS ISBN: 978-978-963-254-1 (2017) Foreword ECOWAS has a rich history in preventive diplomacy and mediation, deriving from the experiences and lessons learnt from over two decades of interventions in civil wars and political conflicts within the region. These include interventions that led to the end of the civil wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau from the beginning of the 1990s to the early 2000s. It also includes the more recent political conflicts in Togo (2005; 2007), Guinea (2008-2010), Guinea-Bissau (2008-2009, 2012-2014 and 2015-2017), Cote d’Ivoire (2011-2012), Niger (2009-2011), Mali (2012-14), and Burkina Faso (2014-15). Among other numerous interventions, the recent successful resolution of the 2016 post-election crisis in The Gambia further displayed the organisation’s preventive diplomacy and mediation work and abilities. In furtherance of the recommendations from the 2010 Monrovia Declaration (Two Decades of Peace Processes in West Africa) and the 2014 Mali After-Action Review, the ECOWAS Commission, in 2015, es- tablished the Mediation Facilitation Division (MFD) within the Directorate of Political Affairs (DPA). The MFD is mandated (amongst other aspects) to facilitate and support capacity-building and knowledge management in dialogue and mediation for ECOWAS mediators, facilitators, and their support staff - pursuant to the provisions of the 2008 Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF). This Dialogue and Mediation Curriculum (DMC) is part of the strategic objective of the DPA, through the MFD, to develop tools for the strengthening of ECOWAS’s capacities for the prevention, resolution and management of conflicts in the region. The DMC is intended as a standardised and regionally contextualised training guide for enhancing the capacities and knowledge for the diverse range of mediation actors at the Track I, II, and III levels of preventive diplomacy. The curriculum will also expose potential mediators, facilitators, special envoys, Council of the Wise members, and special and resident representatives to the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture (EPSA), as well as to the normative and legal frameworks for conflict prevention, management and resolution. The DMC is structured along four phases: the Pre-Talks Phase, which focuses on preparation for mediation; the Talks Phase, which details the conduct of the mediation process itself; the Agreement Phase, which looks at moving toward and closing mediation processes as well as the development of durable and sustainable agreements; and a final Phase, which deals with the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of (peace) agreements. I commend the efforts of the DPA for developing this curriculum, and it is my hope that it will com- plement other initiatives of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, aimed at con- solidating peace and stability in the ECOWAS region. Halima Ahmed Commissioner, Political Affairs Peace and Security ECOWAS Commission | 3 Acknowledgements The ECOWAS Dialogue and Mediation Curriculum (DMC) is the outcome of extensive efforts by a number of mediation experts, peacebuilding practitioners, and academics from across West Africa and beyond. The DMC development process was made possible through the funding of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and in this regard, our appreciation goes to the GIZ ECOWAS Support Programme for the financial and technical support extended to this process and in particu- larly to Mrs Yvonne Akpasom and her team within the Programme’s Peace and Security Unit. In mid-2016, the ECOWAS Mediation Facilitation Division (MFD) hosted a brainstorming meeting wherein a small group was invited to assist in the further conceptualisation of the curriculum. Following this initial meeting, Dr Jose Pascal da Rocha was engaged as the lead consultant in the development process. Our deep and sincere appreciation thereby goes to Dr da Rocha, for not only bringing his wealth of practical experience and knowledge in designing and developing the curricu- lum, but also for his exemplary professionalism and commitment throughout the entire process. We wish to also acknowledge the contributions, partnership, and support of key institutions and individuals who have contributed to this project, notably: the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), (Ghana); the National Defence College, (Nigeria); Ecole de Maintien de la Paix (EMPABB), (Mali); the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP); Prof. Amadu Sessay of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin (Nigeria); Dr. Sarjoh Bah of the African Union Commission (AUC); Mr. Bruno Donat of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS); Dr. Willie Eselebor of the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan (Ni- geria); Dr. Thomas Tieku of the King's College at Western University (Canada); Prof. Joao Porto Gomes, Adviser, Conflict Management Initiatives; Dr. Babatunde Afolabi of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (Nigeria); and Mrs. Judith Van den Boogert of the Clingendael Academy of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations. Many thanks as well to H. E. Halima Ahmed, Commissioner Political Affairs Peace and Security, under whose guidance and leadership this project was carried out. Finally, my sincere appreciation and gratitude goes to the staff of the ECOWAS MFD – Mr. Ebenezer Asiedu, Dr. Brown Odigie, Ms. Mariame Camara, and Mr. Luther Barou, for facilitating and coordinating the development of the DMC and for their commitment and dedication which has resulted in the actualization of this curriculum. It is my sincere hope that the DMC will be a useful and practical training tool that will support the enhancement of capacities and knowledge of mediation actors in the ECOWAS region. Ajibewa Remi, PhD. Director, Political Affairs ECOWAS Commission TABLE OF CONTENT List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................ 6 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Phase I: Pre-Talks ..................................................................................... 20 Phase 2: Talks .......................................................................................... 38 Excursion: Negotiating Special Issues .....................................................................................68 Phase 3: Agreement ................................................................................. 79 Phase 4: Implementing Peace Agreements ................................................. 92 Annex A – Overview of Mediation Phases .............................................................................107 Annex B - Framework for Political Analysis ..........................................................................110 Annex C - Framework for Political Assessment of Electoral Processes ..........................114 4 | 5 LIST OF ACRONYMS APC All People’s Congress (Sierra Leone) LWI Liberia Women Initiative APSA African Peace and Security Architecture MARWOPNET Mano River Union Women’s Peace Network ASF African Standby Force MFD Mediation Facilitation Division (ECOWAS) AHSG Authority of Heads of States and Government MODEL Movement for Democracy in Liberia AU African Union MRU Mano River Union CAPES Centre for Analysis of Economic and Social MSC Mediation and Security Council (ECOWAS) Policy (Burkina Faso) MSC Military Staff Committee (AU) CDF Civil Defence Force (Sierra Leone) MSU Mediation Support Unit (UN) CEWS Continental Early Warning System NCCP National Coordinating Committee for Peace CISU Central Intelligence Security Unit (Sierra (Sierra Leone) Leone) NGO Non-governmental Organization CDVR Commission on Dialogue, Truth and NPFL National Patriotic Front of Liberia Reconciliation (Côte d’Ivoire) NPP National Patriotic Party (Liberia) CLHRE Centre for Law and Human Rights Education NSC National Security Council (Sierra Leone) (Liberia) OAU Organization of African Unity CMS Committee for Mediation and Security OHCHR Office of the UN High Commissioner for CNDHCI National Commission on Human Rights Human Rights (Côte d’Ivoire) OMC Observation and Monitoring Centre (ECOWAS) CODESRIA Council for the Development of Social Science ONS Office of National Security (Sierra Leone) Research in Africa OMZ Observation and Monitoring Zone (ECOWAS) CoW Council of the Wise PAIGC African Party for the Independence of Guinea CPA Comprehensive Peace Agreement (Liberia) and Cape Verde CSO Civil Society Organization PAPS Political Affairs, Peace and Security DISEC District Security Committee (Sierra Leone)