In this lunchtime discussion, Mark Hoover will focus on the current situation in the Central African Republic and on possible opportunities for international support to conflict prevention in the country, in particular in relation to the upcoming presidential election in December 2020. Participants will also be invited to discuss a range of issues relating to the peace and conflict dynamics in the country, and to share insights on local perceptions of national and international actors, on which regions and types of actions to prioritise, on the return of IDPs and refugees into mixed communities, etc.

Mark Hoover is a Stabilisation Advisor with the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilisation Operations. Mark joined the Department of State in 2015 and focuses primarily on conflict and stabilisation risks and opportunities in Central Africa from both Washington and overseas. More broadly, Mark works to support the US government’s efforts to understand and prevent violence around various issues, including farmer-herder conflicts, political transitions in Ethiopia and Sudan, and stabilisation in the Central African Republic.

Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch and EPLO will provide tea and coffee.

Please note that seats are limited and registration is mandatory. Please RSVP to Lorenzo Conti if you would like to participate.