Peace and Security
Conflict in Africa: One of the Most Significant Obstacles to Development
In a 2010 assessment of 162 countries, the University of Maryland found that no region in the world has greater potential for conflict than Africa. Of the 25 countries rated to have the highest risk of instability, only three are outside sub-Saharan Africa. Heightened instability in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania has pushed these countries into the top tier of those at risk. Furthermore, states with a mix of poor human security, unstable or inequitable political institutions, and limited or poorly managed resources are likely to contribute to a "bad neighborhood" of similarly vulnerable states.
Many African countries require outside assistance to resolve major conflicts in their region and to absorb the inflow of refugees and displaced persons resulting from conflict. In countries such as Burundi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, successful peace processes supported by the international community have brought meaningful positive change. Yet conflict continues to be a daily reality for many Africans.
In conflict-affected areas of Africa-such as Somalia, eastern DRC, Nigeria's Niger Delta region, and the Darfur and Three Areas regions of Sudan-the capacity of governments and populations to engage in sustainable development is extremely weak. These conflicts continue to undermine progress in health, economic growth, and governance; create conditions that have resulted in breeding grounds for terrorism; and can require costly humanitarian interventions.
USAID's Role
Addressing the significant challenges posed by conflict in Africa requires a long-term commitment, and USAID closely collaborates with o regional bodies such as the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other international partners engaged in conflict prevention. USAID technical assistance guides the development of strategies and the design of projects to optimize development assistance for long-term peace and stability in Africa. As African conflicts typically transcend national boundaries, USAID increasingly seeks opportunities for regional conflict prevention programming. USAID presently engages in several regional programs that empower African decision-makers with the tools to identify approaching crises and lessen their impact, for instance, support for conflict early warning networks hosted by ECOWAS and the east African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development.
USAID also employs a range of conflict mitigation and peace and reconciliation approaches in conflict-affected countries. Working with interagency partners and multilateral institutions, USAID has supported conflict management and post-conflict reconciliation and reintegration in Burundi, DRC, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. USAID also supports security sector reform in Liberia, Sudan, and Uganda, and civil society-led peacebuilding programs in other countries across the continent.
Publications
 To help countries such as those in the Sahel region of Africa strengthen their capacity to deal with terrorist threats and the potential for intolerance and extremism, USAID is promoting stability in at-risk countries through interventions focused on community development, youth empowerment, education and information, and good governance. A recent evaluation, Mid-Term Evaluation of USAID's Counter-Extremism Programming in Africa (PDF, 3mb) examines USAID's efforts to counter extremism in the region. USAID has improved understanding of the extremism risk in Africa through analytical work including The Guide to the Drivers of Violent Extremism and Development Assistance (pdf,565kb) and Counter-Extremism: A Programming Guide (pdf,576kb).
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