Managing African Conflict (MAC IQC)

May 2003-April 2008

The anticolonial wars of the late 1950s and early 1960s and the succeeding cold-war politics that dominated the last third of the 20th century have given way to struggles against authoritarian regimes for greater racial, ethnic, religious, political and economic equity. At the same time predatory and hegemonic efforts to dominate national and regional economic resources have emerged. Traditionally African governments have not exhibited strong political will or adequate capacity to resolve antagonisms or adequately address their structural and proximate causes.

USAID has been at the forefront of donor efforts to take on conflict in its programming. The Regional Economic Development Service Office for East and Southern Africa (REDSO/ESA), the West Africa Regional Program (WARP) and Regional Center for Southern Africa (RCSA) each have significant conflict, prevention, mitigation and response (CMPR) programs focused on their respective regions.

The MAC IQC provides a primary mechanism through which REDSO, WARP and RCSA can implement their conflict programs in fiscal years 2004-2008. It permits each office to deliver financial and in-kind resources to intergovernmental, governmental and nongovernmental grantees in their respective regions, to implement CPMR activities that rapidly and flexibly respond to evolving conflict situations and steadily build African capacity to manage conflict.

Pact's approach

As part of the Management Systems International consortia, Pact works to build African capacity for CMPR, using entry points such as natural resource allocation and health crises to engage local citizens in conflict resolution activities. Interventions include training and general institutional strengthening of grassroots organizations.