The African Task Force on the Prevention of Mass Atrocities (ATF) was an 18-month initiative of the Budapest Centre for Mass Atrocity Prevention, which analyzed the capacities of five regional organizations in the prevention of mass atrocities. The organizations were selected due to their existing peace and security mandates and architectures, their regional influence in addressing and preventing future crises, and their prior policy focus on the prevention of genocide. They were the following:
- The African Union (AU)
- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
- The Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD)
- The Southern African Development Community (SADC)
- The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)
In the course of the study, the ATF has deployed a mass atrocity lens encompassing phenomena including war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and mass killing, with a particular interest in protecting civilians and non-combatants from violence. The analytical framework deployed in the research is based on three pillars of prevention, including early warning, the operational capacity to respond, and political will. This final report reflects the outcome of desk research and interviews conducted by the members of the task force, as well as the result of five subsequent workshops and bilateral interviews organized with the senior management of the relevant organizations in Africa.
We strongly encourage our visitors to take a look at this research, since it remains strikingly current and useful. Please download the document here, which is also available in French. Plus, you can retrieve further information on the Facebook page of the African Taskforce on the Prevention of Mass Atrocities.
