About Us

 

The African Center For Conflict Transformation (ACCT) was established in 2011 as a not-for-profit organization to challenge the existing context of armed conflicts on the African continent. Since 3100 BC, armed conflicts have been a steady staple of African societies, and wars have often formed the bases of political expression and dissent. Today, armed conflicts on the continent have not abatted. They are becoming more deadly and the issues about which groups and people fight cover the whole gamut of political governance, religious sovereignty, economic subsistence, and socio-political access.

 

Within the last two decades, over half of the countries in Africa have been racked by armed conflicts. For instance, since 2000 north Africa countries, including Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco have experienced serious armed conflict. In the Horn of Africa, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea have been racked by armed conflict. In the African Great Lakes region, Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya have experienced destructive armed conflicts. In the Indian ocean Islands, Comorros has been affected by armed conflict. In West Africa, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone have been wracked by armed conflict. In Central Africa, the Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cameroon, and Angola have experienced armed conflicts. Finally, in Southern Africa, Mozambique and Angola have experienced destructive armed conflict.

 

All of these conflicts have produced tremendous social and economic upheaval and the resulting chaos has had and continues to have damaging effects on millions of Africans that are the victims of the conflicts. Many millions of ordinary people have died and many more are living with the physical, psychological, and emotional effects of the conflicts. Even now, hundreds of thousands of Africans are being displaced from their ancestral homes and means of economic subsistence by ongoing conflicts on the continent. Despite the enormous negative effects of previous conflicts, many African societies are on the verge of new conflicts due to disagreements among powerful individuals. The disagreements are hardly about the interests of millions of ordinary people, but principally about mechanisms for sharing political positions and economic opportunities among their class.

 

In view of the fact that the people who are mostly affected by armed conflicts are ordinary people, especially the disadvantaged poor, the African Center for Conflict Transformation is leading the charge to protect these vulnerable populations by formulating mechanisms for transforming situations amenable to armed conflicts into situations amenable for peaceful coexistence and economic development. At the heart of this campaign is social science research, which becomes the bases for advocating and achieving longstanding peace in deeply divided and conflicted societies. 

 

We believe that the transformation of conflicts is possible, with committed, dedicated resolve, and it is the right thing to do. We welcome you to support our efforts to make Africa habitable, hospitable, and peaceful for the millions of people who call it home and for everyone else.