Peace in Africa subject of conference

A “Great Lakes” region lies at the heart of Africa. The region has been troubled of late – several of its countries have spent the last decade at war with each other, submerged in civil disputes, or both.

A global conference will be held at the UW–Madison on Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 31-Nov. 1, to discuss various proposals currently under discussion for peace in the region and to assess their chances for success.

According to Aliko Songolo, conference organizer and director of UW–Madison’s African Studies Program, “Some have called this ‘Africa’s World War.’ The symposium will take the form of an encounter between scholars specializing in the region and representatives of the countries involved in the conflicts.”

He says that the nations of Burundi, Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, among others, are of special interest.

Participants will include four African ambassadors: Mwelwa Musambachime, Zambia’s ambassador to the United Nations; Andre Kapanga, Congo’s former ambassador to the U.N. and now a professor at Illinois State University; Faida Mitifu, Congo’s ambassador to the United States; and Richard Sezibera, Rwanda’s ambassador to the U.S.

Songolo says it’s no accident that they and others will be eager to come to UW–Madison for this symposium. “UW-Madison and its African Studies program are uniquely situated to hold this conference,” he says. “We have one of the largest African studies programs in the country, with some 70 faculty members dedicated to the study of Africa in a variety of disciplines, and some of them enjoy a worldwide reputation as experts on Central African history and politics.”

Symposium lectures, panels and other events will begin at 9 a.m. each day in the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St. All events are free and open to the public. A complete schedule is available online. For other information, contact Eileen McNamara, (608) 262-2380; africa@intl-institute.wisc.edu.