Unconstitutional changes of government are an overthrow of a constitutionally elected government. Therefore, elections are an integral aspect of the definition of UCG. Defined under article 23 of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, in universal terms, are determined as having to be conducted with integrity if it is based on the democratic principles of universal suffrage and political equality as reflected in international standards and national constitutional and legal frameworks in which the freeness and fairness of the process are guaranteed. Its management must also reflect that constitutional and legal imperative and respect for human rights such as freedom to form political parties, freedoms of expression, association, and of the press among others.
Africa Continental Framework For Youth, Peace And Security | Strengthening The Capacity Of Young People In Peacebuilding And Conflict Prevention
It is incontrovertible that the peace and security challenges experienced in Africa from the 1990s put continental and international attention on the key roles played by young men and women in episodes of armed conflict and insecurity. Successive wars and violations of formal peace agreements and processes across the continent further heightened the attention and concern of policy institutions to the participation of youth in armed conflicts and violence. Across the divide, young people continue to constitute the core of combatants, while also representing a significant number of those affected by armed conflicts, violent extremism, banditry, violent protests and gender-based violence in Africa. For instance, in addition to disruption of education and youth-sensitive socio-economic activities, “estimates of direct conflict deaths in 2015 suggest that more than 90 percent of all casualties involved young males.”