Since the late 1990s, early warning and
conflict prevention have become high-priority areas for multilateral organizations
and, at the highest levels, there is growing political will for more effective
institutional approaches. Recent efforts to enhance long-term 'structural'
and more immediate 'operational' conflict prevention are encouraging, but
a requirement for multilateral institutions to act as part of a 'culture
of prevention' remains elusive.
There is a strong link between oppressed
and marginalized minorities and contemporary conflicts, and conflict prevention
needs to be geared towards addressing (often less visible and less 'strategic')
minority issues. This is a particular concern in Africa, where discrimination
against minorities is often present alongside other structural preconditions
for conflict.
The aim of this study is to learn from
the Darfur conflict and provide insights as to how better incorporation
of minority rights can strengthen the work of institutions mandated with
conflict early warning and prevention.