Assessing the Effects of Digital Technologies in Peacebuilding Interventions for Optimal Sustainable Development in Africa

The 2063 African Agenda aligns with the principles of International Human Rights, emphasizing peace, justice, and strong institutions, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals, which are grounded in International Human Rights laws and standards that all States are expected to respect and promote. The sixteenth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) aims to reduce all forms of violence, enabling every individual to access the rule of law and justice freely, as the African Union aspires to accelerate the implementation of past and existing continental initiatives for sustainable development. This study advocates for the use of digital technologies to overcome the limitations of traditional peacebuilding processes and the burden of long-term violence and injustice, which persist in many African countries. Based on apomediation theory, the study employs a content analysis design to evaluate the audience, stakeholders, communication trends, and digital concepts related to peacebuilding. Conceptual, relational, and analytical findings reveal the imperative of leveraging digital technologies to facilitate more cost-effective channels for action in the contemporary African peace economy and to achieve Vision 2063. The study concludes that the advent and gradual adoption of digital technologies mark a milestone that has compelled traditional methods to give way to a more effective approach to achieving peace, justice, and strong institutions, thereby facilitating desirable and monumental breakthroughs in peacebuilding interventions. Based on the findings, the study recommends that peacebuilding interventions should utilise digital technologies for optimal and sustainable development in Africa.