The Role of The civil Society Organizations

 in Solving Conflicts in Africa .

A case Study for (CRD) in Somalia .

By : Abd Elrahman M. Hussain.

     The role of the civil society organizations and their impacts on the daily life of the African citizen is well known . Many of the civil society  organizations , knowing the nature of the African conflicts have put great stress to solve them . The civil society  organizations are considered to be a new international phenomena    , aiming at    solving different political , and social problems in the various activities related to human matters .               This is why many researchers and academics   do study them .

       Since1991 Somalia has witnessed an increase in the  role of civil society  organizations in terms of quality and quantity  , they became pressure groups in similar spheres . They also have a growing role to play in lives of ordinary somalian citizens, they even transcended the roles of   tribal leaders and armed commanders.       

       The Somalia CRD organization is considered as one of the most active bodies among the other organizations working in Somalia , especially in the field of negotiation and  conflict  resolution  .The organization has arranged and  held a number of conferences dealing with peace and the ways of establishing  it across the towns  and villages of Somalia . These conferences were attended by a large number of learned men and women who have some influence over their societies . 

       In this paper the researcher discuses the role and the contribution  of this  organization in bridging the opinion gap and  opening channels  of dialogue among  different  Somali  factions  and that is through the various basic documents and secondary references that have dealt with the problem.

         The   paper  deals with following topics :

(1)            The concept of  conflict .

(2)            Conflicts in Africa .

(3)            The Somali conflict and impacts on  the society .

(4)            The concept of civil society  organization .

(5)            The role of the civil society  organizations in solving the Somali conflict .

(6)            The role of CRD in solving that conflict .

(7)            References .

(8)            Appendixes .