From 17-18 October 2018 in Gaborone, Botswana, Thinking Africa, represented by Dr Saïd Abass Ahamed, participated in the Annual Regional Security Dialogue Forum. This event was organized by the Southern African Defence and Security Management Network (SADSEM) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Mozambique.
This year the Dialogue focused on the role of mediation in transforming conflict, and its usefulness in the region vis-à-vis current conflicts. The conference run under the theme: Mediation as Tool for Conflict Transformation- Its Use, Effectiveness and Lessons. On day one, the conference ended with a Public Lecture on The Road Towards Silencing the Guns by 2020.
Dr Saïd Abass Ahamed intervened on the Peace-making in the Democratic Republic of Congo panel. He provided the audience with a broad analysis of the conflict in DRC, and a broader perspective of conflict mediation and resolution.
The focus of the session was on the perpetual conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the growing, urgent need to analyse the effectiveness of mediation strategies. DRC has displayed pitfalls in mediation techniques that need to be addressed so that other conflict states can better deal with conflict management. The session focused on the root causes and the complex interest of various players involved in the DRC conflict.
