Centre d’Études Stratégiques de l’Afrique

(English) By Human Rights Watch, December 2011. Congolese security forces, particularly the presidential guard, have killed and detained dozens of civilians prior to recent presidential elections and during subsequent protests against the results. The deployment of the presidential guard, however, appeared to violate Congolese law. The election has undercut the legitimacy of the government and the stability this would bring the Democratic Republic of the Congo. View the Article: [English][French]

(English) By African Union Panel of the Wise and International Peace Institute, 2010. Elections are competitive processes that if not constructively managed can potentially foment destabilizing disputes. Africa should make deliberate efforts to progressively and creatively move toward electoral systems that broaden representation, recognize diversity, and respect majority rule while at the same time protecting minority rights. When conflicts do emerge external actors such as the African Union have a range of dispute resolution and confidence-building mechanisms that can defuse the escalation of violence. Download the Article: [PDF]

(English) By Khabele Matlosa, Victor Shale and Dimpho Motsamai. Electoral Institute for Sustainability of Democracy in Africa, 2010.

Violence during elections tends to be an outgrowth of elite struggles for control of state power and resources and is much more likely when rules and institutions to manage political competition are weak or manipulable. Political party liaison mechanisms and more autonomous electoral commissions can mitigate triggers of violence, but genuine prevention requires that the African Union and Regional Economic Communities pressure political elites to support and observe legitimate electoral processes. [PDF]

Colloque sur les élections africaines : Meilleures pratiques et collaboration intersectorielle The National Democratic Institute, 2010. Les élections sont de complexes cycles en plusieurs étapes qui requièrent une collaboration étroite entre de nombreux partenaires. Les services de sécurité jouent un rôle crucial dans une telle collaboration en réalisant des estimations des menaces pré-électorales et des plans d’intervention pour y répondre, en prenant part activement aux organes de coordination électorale et en fournissant un environnement sûr et sécurisé qui favorise le processus de façon neutre. [PDF]

Focalisation sur les élections et la sécurité. Par ACE Encyclopaedia. http://aceproject.org/ace-en/focus/elections-and-security Une sécurité équitable et fiable est essentielle pour garantir la confiance et la participation des électeurs à des élections démocratiques, susceptibles parfois d’exacerber les tensions. La planification avancée, la formation et une coordination générale sont tout aussi cruciales pour assurer des élections libres, justes et sûres que le déploiement approprié du personnel de sécurité.