Preventing and Mitigating Electoral Violence in Africa

Election-related violence is a serious threat to the free and fair exercise of democracy around the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, this has been a problem for many decades. During an election cycle the possibility of violence can increase as the stakes of political contestation rise and when outcomes between candidates are viewed in a zero-sum manner. To help address the threats to democracy posed by electoral violence, the International Republican Institute (IRI) drafted the following evidence briefer.

Based on two years of research, this document summarizes the six most frequently used approaches to preventing and mitigating electoral violence. It synthesizes evidence on the effectiveness of those six approaches, and the specific implications of this evidence for programming. This briefer summarizes findings from a NED-funded project implemented with the IRI Africa team that will lead to a toolkit on preventing and mitigating electoral violence.