Conflict Prevention and Management in Africa: Role of Track Two Diplomacy in Kenya.

Abstract

This study focused on track II diplomacy in conflict prevention and management in Africa; and specifically in Kenya. Objectives of the study included examining how track II diplomacy has led to conflict prevention and management in Africa, to find out how track II diplomacy has helped in preventing and managing conflict in Kenya and assessing the key challenges and future prospects of track II diplomacy in managing conflicts in the continent. The study was founded on liberal theory. Survey research design was adopted. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires directed at different non-state actors like the civil societies, media, private citizens and non-governmental institutions. The data collected was then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in line with the study objectives. Findings established that track II diplomacy has broadly been employed in Africa, with notable countries including Mozambique, South Africa, DRC and Kenya. The employment of track II diplomacy in the enlisted states involved the use of non-state members such as religious leaders, youth leaders, influential business people, local NGOs and members of the international community. Application of track II diplomacy helped to restore order amongst adversaries, helped to voice the demands of victims, addressed the concerns of affected communities and facilitated justice for individuals in the community by bringing perpetrators of the war to book. In Kenya, notable conflicts necessitating the use of track II diplomacy included the 2007-2008 post-election violence, 2017 violence, conflicts amongst the pastoralist communities in Baringo and Turkana and conflicts at the border between Kenya and Somali. The use of track II diplomacy helped in opening and improving channels of communication, changing attitudes of conflicting parties about the “other”, restoring relationships by building trust, offering new opportunities for negotiation, changing the dynamic of conflict by strengthening voices of moderation and building stable infrastructure of peace. Challenges facing track II diplomacy as identified in this study included introduction of ‘wrong’ diplomats, introduction of right diplomats but with limited influence on policy formulation, changing of sides by diplomats, changing of the peace keeping environment and the dismissal of the efforts of track II diplomats in the official negotiation processes. The researcher concluded that track II diplomacy has been very important in managing and preventing conflicts in Africa, together with track I and other peace keeping processes.