Horn of African countries should embrace inclusive nat'l dialogues to sustain peace: report

ADDIS ABABA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Horn of Africa, facing a news.cn/en/tag/i0xngaj3163f76200c981b/index.html" target="_blank">new phase of instability, needs genuine and inclusive efforts driven by national and local players so as to sustain peaceful coexistence, a news.cn/en/tag/i0xngaj3163f76200c981b/index.html" target="_blank">new publication by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) urged on Thursday.

The ISS, an African non-profit organization, in its publication titled "National Dialogues are Key to Peace in the Horn" has indicated that countries in the region have "entered a news.cn/en/tag/i0xngaj3163f76200c981b/index.html" target="_blank">new phase of domestic instability.

"Political protests in Ethiopia and Sudan and armed insurrections in South Sudan and Somalia have dredged up old causes of conflict," it said.

Noting Ethiopia's recurrent political and security crises since the second half of 2016, the ISS said that the East African country has "shown signs of heading towards stability, in part due to political reforms it is undertaking, but internal violence remains acute."

While Ethiopia's neighboring country Sudan "is wrapped in turmoil with protesters demanding political change," according to the institute.

"South Sudan has the daunting task of implementing a fragile peace agreement, against a backdrop of communal violence and atrocities occurring since December 2013," the publication read.

Somalia, apart from the terror threat posed by al-Shabab, is "struggling with inter-communal conflicts and political disputes between the federal government and its member states."

"The region is dealing with clashes based on ethnicity, religion and other identity markers," ISS said, adding demands are being made for more just, equitable and democratic governance, as well as remedies to various forms of socio-economic disfranchisement.

According to the institute, ongoing challenges work against the fragile state of national unity in the region's countries, showing that "genuine and inclusive national dialogues are needed now more than ever."

It also urged national, regional and global peace-building actors to support national dialogues to help avert domestic political crises and internal armed conflicts across countries in the Horn of Africa.

"The overriding goal of national dialogue processes is to promote peace, unity, reconciliation and a shared sense of identity - all critical elements of sustainable peace, but all in short supply in the Horn of Africa," the ISS said.

The ISS stressed that national dialogues were not common among countries in the region.

"In the Horn of Africa, national dialogues have not always been well implemented, and at other times citizens have wanted them, but governments haven't recognized their importance," ISS said.

Ethiopian policymakers have recently taken concrete steps towards dialogue processes, including by establishing a national reconciliation commission this year.

In Somalia, there is an increasing recognition that focusing on military interventions has failed to bring about sustainable peace in the country.

"Unlike in the past, those supporting such dialogues must ensure proper representation, agenda setting, clarity of decision making procedures, and support structures," the ISS added.

The institute also urged the UN, African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in particular to rethink their approaches on conflict prevention and peace-building in the region.

"They need to ensure that genuine and inclusive national dialogues are at the center of conflict prevention, management and resolution efforts," the publication read.