Africa

Link to members only section

CIDSE Africa Continental Platform
Peace and Conflict:
CIDSE Peace and Conflict Coalition
Strategic Alliance of Peace Networks in Africa (SAPNA)
EU-Africa Relations
CIDSE and CIDSE/Caritas Africa Country Groups

The CIDSE Africa Continental Platform (CACP) brings together personnel from the member organisations working on Africa. They exchange information and analyse the situation in different countries, on partners and on projects. They outline geographical and sectoral priorities common to members and identify issues for advocacy work. In specific cases of need, country groups are set up to focus attention on joint and co-ordinated action of CIDSE member organisations and members of other networks.

Peace and Conflict:
The Africa Platform’s focus on peacebuilding, reconciliation and conflict resolution has led to the establishment of the CIDSE Peace and Conflict Coalition. The Coalition will for the coming 3 years (2002-2004) focus its work on Angola and the role of extractive industries as fuelling conflict. Lead Agency for this group is Misereor, Germany. The Africa Platform will continue a close collaboration with the Peace and Conflict Coalition

The CIDSE Africa Platform has also been instrumental in promoting a strategic alliance on peace networks in Africa. Acting on the request of African partners to work towards a more harmonised and strategic approach to peace and conflict in Africa, the Africa platform has created a Strategic Alliance on Peace Networks in Africa (SAPNA). This essentially open structure, which re-groups agencies that are potentially interested in responding to this request, aims to strengthen collaboration among peace organisations in Africa and promote partnership with CIDSE member organisations in pursuit of peace and development in Africa. The group looks into opportunities for joint and harmonised support for peace networks around regional “hubs” in Africa, which each has a CIDSE Lead Agency. These are for East Africa – Dreiköningsaktion (Austria), West Africa – Cordaid (The Netherlands), and Southern Africa – Misereor (Germany).

Advocacy and Lobby Activities
The CIDSE Africa Continental Platform is continuing its work in the framework of EU-Africa relations and is currently, together with CIDSE Task Group 1 and other CIDSE policy staff, preparing an update of the CIDSE position paper: Towards True Partnership: EU-Africa Summit, which was written for the occasion of the EU-Africa Summit in Cairo, April 2000. In this paper CIDSE has made key recommendations on EU Development Policy, Trade, Debt and Adjustment, Good Governance, Peacebuilding, conflict resolution and prevention, HIV/AIDS and Development Assistance. The updated position will be launched in time for the next summit scheduled to take place 4-5 April 2003 in Lisbon, Protugal.

Peter de Keijzer (Cordaid)
President of the CIDSE Africa Continental Platform


CIDSE and CIDSE-Caritas Country Groups
The following country groups exist within the CIDSE/Caritas framework: