Coalition pour la Paix au Burundi

Contact Information

• Where – Burundi (Eastern Africa)
• Contact Person – Sylvère Nsengiyumva
• Email – perdrix2@yahoo.fr
• Address – Rohero I, Avenue de l’Industrie N°38, Bujumbura Mairie, Burundi

Areas of Expertise

Coalition pour la Paix au Burundi has expertise in a range of areas, including:

• Advocacy and Lobbying
• Dialogue
• Education and Training
• Mediation and Negotiation
• Policy-Making and Research

Main Aims and Objectives

COPA is a membership organisation striving to build the capacity of its members and providing support to existing service providers in Africa. Its dream is to see a sustainable culture of peace taking root in Africa, in which divergent views and interests coexist in a manner that reinforces a common good; and a continent that acknowledges and solves its problem, and contributes towards global solutions. This initiative was started in 1995/6 by a group of Africans – all of whom were English speakers – who met in Nairobi.

In 2003, a group of peacebuilders from the French area (the Great Lakes Region) benefited from that programme and decided to launch the same program for French speakers.

Upholding the Principles of Conflict Transformation

COPA’s programmes – particularly its trainings and training manuals on conflict transformation and community mitigation, and its mediation work – are extremely beneficial for many organisations involved in conflict transformation, paricularly grass roots organizations and armed groups (rebels, ex-combatants, youth who are unemployed), plus many other national and international organizations, such as CRS, IRC, Search for Common Ground, Agro Action Allemande, Burundi University, UNESCO, the UN, CORD/UK and the Belgian Embassy.

Where and with Whom

COPA works with a variety of actors in Burundi, including the National University and various civil society organizations. COPA also works with the UNDP in Bénin and the Ivory Coast

Main Activities in the Field of Conflict Transformation

• In consultation with national and international actors, and the UN system agencies resident in Benin, COPA formulated a UNCT-wide strategy for a long-term conflict prevention program, with a dedicated program of strategic activities, articulated in a project document for a continuing PDA-led program.
• Monitored the political and social situation in the country, and provided strategic and timely analyses to the UN RC and UN Headquarters, including regular political and election-related analysis, with a view to identifying risk factors that could cause instability or violence;
• Provided advise on how the UN system can best assist national and local initiatives to prevent conflict;
• Advised on programmatic options to address challenges and seize opportunities to improve stability;
• In partnership with Search for Common Ground, members of COPA facilitated the dialogue promotion between the Hutu and Tutsi at University, and other communities across the country during the crises;
• Trainings on conflict management and transformation processes in Burundi, conflict resolution in Kirundi;
• Research on gender-based violences (with Search for Common Ground), monitoring and evaluation tools in conflict management, advocacy and lobbying (with Coalition for Peace in Africa);
• Consultation of population approach for the truth and reconciliation process in Burundi (with Global Right);
• Development of a training manual in conflict transformation for the political parties’ leaders in Burundi (in partnership with UNESCO/National University of Burundi).

In the Ivory Coast:

• Supported the development of a UNDP National Social Cohesion Program, and supported the updating of its National Policy on National Reconciliation and Cohesion
• Reviewed and assessed existing local mechanisms for peace and reconciliation, and formulated recommendations for the development of a coordinated and consistent approach for local peace/reconciliation infrastructures.
• Reviewed and assessed existing local mechanisms for peace and reconciliation, and formulated recommendations for the development of a coordinated and consistent approach for local peace/reconciliation infrastructures
• Shared experiences from other countries and advice on a roadmap for implementation.
• Provided, as required by the government, a needs assessment in the key areas identified in the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement Framework.