2. Peace negotiations in Africa • Thirteen peace processes and negotiations were identified in Africa throughout 2020, accounting for 32.5% of the 40 peace processes worldwide. • The chronic deadlock and paralysis in diplomatic channels to address the Western Sahara issue favoured an escalation of tension at the end of the year. • At the end of 2020, the parties to the conflict in Libya signed a ceasefire agreement and the political negotiations tried to establish a transitional government, but doubts remained about the general evolution of the process. • In Mozambique, the Government and RENAMO made progress in implementing the DDR program envisaged in the 2019 peace agreement. • The first direct talks were held between the government of Cameroon and a part of the secessionist movement led by the historical leader Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe to try to reach a ceasefire agreement. • In Sudan, the government and the rebel coalition SRF and the SLM/A-MM signed a historic peace agreement that was not endorsed by other rebel groups such as the SPLM-N al-Hilu and the SLM/A-AW. • In South Sudan, the transitional government was formed and peace talks were held with the armed groups that had not signed the 2018 peace agreement. This chapter analyses the peace processes and negotiations in Africa in 2020. First, it examines the general characteristics and trends of peace processes in the region, then it delves into the evolution of each of the cases throughout the year, including references to the gender, peace and security agenda. At the beginning of the chapter, a map is included that identifies the African countries that were the scene of negotiations during 2020. Table 2.1. Summary of peace processes and negotiations in Africa in 2020 Peace processes and Negotiating actors Third parties negotiations Burundi1 Government, political and social opposition grouped in the -- National Council for the Respect of the Peace Agreement and the Reconciliation of Burundi and the Restoration of the Rule of Law (CNARED) Cameroon Government, political-military secessionist movement Church, civil society organisations, Switzerland, Centre for (Ambazonia/North formed by the opposition coalition Ambazonia Coalition Humanitarian Dialogue West and South West) Team (ACT, including IG Sako) and Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC, including IG Sisiku) CAR Government, armed groups belonging to the former Séléka The African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation (AU and coalition, anti-balaka militias ECCAS, with the support of the UN, ICGLR, Angola, Gabon, the Rep. of the Congo and Chad), Community of Sant’Egidio, ACCORD, OIC, International Support Group (UN, EU, among others), Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, China, Russia, Sudan DRC Government led by Cap pour le Changement (coalition led Congolese Episcopal Conference (CENCO), Church of Christ by Félix Tshisekedi), in coalition with Front Commun pour in the Congo, Angola, Tanzania, Uganda, Support Group for le Congo (coalition led by Joseph Kabila, successor to the the Facilitation of the National Dialogue on the DRC led by Alliance for the Presidential Majority), political and social the AU, SADC, International Conference on the Great Lakes opposition, armed groups from the East of the country Region (ICGLR), AU, EU, UN, OIF and USA Eritrea – Ethiopia Government of Eritrea and government of Ethiopia United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, USA Libya Presidential Council and Government of National Accord Quartet (UN, Arab League, AU, EU), Germany, France, Italy, (GNA), House of Representatives (HoR), National General Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, The Netherlands, Congress (NGC), LNA or ALAF Switzerland, among other countries; Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue Mali Government, Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), Algeria, France, Economic Community of West African States MNLA, MAA and HCUA, Platform, GATIA, CMFPR, CPA, (ECOWAS), AU, UN, EU, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, faction of the MAA The Carter Center, civil society organisations, Mauritania Morocco – Western Morocco, Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el- UN, Algeria and Mauritania, Group of Friends of Western Sahara Hamra and Río de Oro (POLISARIO) Sahara (France, USA, Spain, United Kingdom and Russia) 1. The East African Community (EAC) finalised its facilitation in 2019. Peace negotiations in Africa 33 Peace processes and Negotiating actors Third parties negotiations Mozambique Government, RENAMO National mediation team, Community of Sant’Egidio, Catholic Church, UN, Southern African Development Community (SADC), AU, EU, Botswana, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom Somalia Federal Government, leaders of the federal and emerging UN, IGAD, Turkey, among others states (Puntland, HirShabelle, Galmudug, Jubaland, Southwest), political military movement Ahlu Sunna WalJama’a, clan and sub-clan leaders, Somaliland South Sudan Government (SPLM), SPLM/A-in-Opposition (SPLM/A- “IGAD Plus”: the IGAD, which includes Sudan, South Sudan, IO), and several minor groups (SSOA, SPLM-FD, among Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Uganda; AU others) and SSOMA (NAS, SSUF/A, Real-SPLM, NDM-PF, (Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Chad and Algeria), China, Russia, UDRM/A, NDM-PF, SSNMC) Egypt, Troika (USA, United Kingdom and Norway), EU, UN, South Sudan Council of Churches, Community of Sant’Egidio Sudan Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF, coalition comprising the African Union High Level Panel on Sudan (AUHIP), Troika armed groups of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur), (EEUU, United Kingdom, Norway), Germany, AU, UNAMID, Movement for Justice and Equity (JEM), Sudan Liberation Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda Movements, SLA-MM and SLA-AW factions, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), Malik Agar and Abdelaziz al-Hilu factions Sudan – South Sudan Government of Sudan and Government of South Sudan IGAD, African Union Border Programme (AUBP), United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), Egypt, Libya, USA, EU 2.1 Negotiations in 2020: regional trends Throughout the year 2020, there were 13 peace for peacemakers, as diplomatic missions were reduced processes and negotiations in Africa, which accounts for to their essential staff, UN special envoys interrupted 32,5% of the 40 peace processes identified worldwide. their travels and mediation efforts stopped in response This figure is lower than in 2019, when there were 19 to COVID-19, as highlighted by the organisation. peace processes, and in 2018, when there were 22. The For actors linked to diplomacy in conflicts in Africa, decrease in 2020 compared to 2019 is due to further the spread of the virus represented a fundamental implementation of some previously reached peace challenge regarding access.3 As a result, as highlighted agreements, which have stopped being analysed in the by AU Peace and Security Commissioner Smail yearbook, such as in the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia Chergui, COVID-19 clearly contributed to delays in the (Ogaden) and Ethiopia (Oromia). In other implementation of critical peace accords.4 cases, no active peace negotiations were The spread of the identified: Nigeria (Niger Delta), the Lake COVID-19 pandemic Regarding the actors involved in the Chad region (Boko Haram) and Senegal negotiations, in 2020 only two cases negatively affected (Casamance). exclusively involved the governments peace processes in of the respective countries and armed Nine of these 13 peace negotiations were Africa groups or political-military movements in linked to armed conflicts. This was the case the negotiations. These were the peace in Burundi, Cameroon (Ambazonia/North West and South processes in Mozambique, between the government West), CAR, DRC, Libya, Mali, Somalia, Sudan and and the opposition group RENAMO, and in the Central South Sudan. The remaining four processes were related African Republic (CAR), between the government and to socio-political crises: Eritrea-Ethiopia, Morocco- the different member groups of the former Séléka Western Sahara, Mozambique and Sudan-South Sudan. coalition and anti-balaka militias. Meanwhile seven of Armed conflicts in Africa continued to severely affect the the 13 peace processes were characterised by a more civilian population despite the appeal of UN Secretary- complex map of actors, with governments, armed General António Guterres in March, and peacekeeping groups and political and social opposition groups. This missions and humanitarian responses were affected was true in processes in Cameroon (Ambazonia/North by the COVID-19 pandemic, as noted in an OECD West and South West), where the meetings involved report.2 In fact, the virus created significant obstacles political actors linked to insurgencies; Mali where the 2. OCDE, OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), COVID-19, crises and fragility, Paris, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 29 April 2020. 3. Mutazilite, K., “From Bad to Worse? The impact(s) of Covid-19 on conflict dynamics,“ Institute for Security Studies, Conflict Series Brief 13, 11 June 2020. 4. Chergui, S., “Op-ed: Peace and Security amidst COVID-19”, AU, 17 April 2020. 34 Peace Talks in Focus 2020 Map 2.1. Peace negotiations in Africa in 2020 Morocco – Western Sahara Libya Mali Sudan Eritrea Ethiopia CAR South Sudan Cameroon Somalia DRC Congo Burundi Mozambique Countries with peace processes and negotiations in Africa in 2020 negotiating process has involved national authorities since the official facilitator of the inter-Burundian and many political actors