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<article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" article-type="research-article" dtd-version="1.2" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">Vestnik RUDN. International Relations</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">Vestnik RUDN. International Relations</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Вестник Российского университета дружбы народов. Серия: Международные отношения</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn publication-format="print">2313-0660</issn><issn publication-format="electronic">2313-0679</issn><publisher><publisher-name xml:lang="en">федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Российский университет дружбы народов имени Патриса Лумумбы» (РУДН)</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">49512</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.22363/2313-0660-2026-26-1-150-164</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="edn">SSEFCX</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>REGIONAL ASPECTS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>РЕГИОНАЛЬНЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="zh"><subject></subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="article-type"><subject>Research Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title xml:lang="en">Empowering Women in Mediation and Negotiation in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: A Problem Statement</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Содействие женщинам в посредничестве и переговорах в районе Великих Африканских озер: постановка проблемы</trans-title></trans-title-group><trans-title-group xml:lang="zh"><trans-title/></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3474-3861</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Kiamba</surname><given-names>Anita</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Киамба</surname><given-names>Анита</given-names></name><name xml:lang="zh"><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>PhD (International Studies), Senior Lecturer, Department of Diplomacy and International Studies</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>PhD (международные исследования), старший преподаватель кафедры дипломатии и международных исследований</p></bio><email>akiamba@uonbi.ac.ke</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9052-4363</contrib-id><contrib-id contrib-id-type="spin">3806-0961</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Bokeriya</surname><given-names>Svetlana A.</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Бокерия</surname><given-names>Светлана Александровна</given-names></name><name xml:lang="zh"><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>PhD (Law), Associate Professor, Department of Theory and History of International Relations</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>кандидат юридических наук, доцент кафедры теории и истории международных отношений</p></bio><email>bokeria-sa@rudn.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff-alternatives id="aff1"><aff><institution xml:lang="en">University of Nairobi</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="ru">Университет Найроби</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="zh"></institution></aff></aff-alternatives><aff-alternatives id="aff2"><aff><institution xml:lang="en">RUDN University</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="ru">Российский университет дружбы народов</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="zh"></institution></aff></aff-alternatives><pub-date date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2026-04-03" publication-format="electronic"><day>03</day><month>04</month><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>26</volume><issue>1</issue><issue-title xml:lang="en">Strategic Stability, Global and Regional Security</issue-title><issue-title xml:lang="ru">Стратегическая стабильность, глобальная и региональная безопасность</issue-title><fpage>150</fpage><lpage>164</lpage><history><date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2026-04-05"><day>05</day><month>04</month><year>2026</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement xml:lang="en">Copyright ©; 2026, Kiamba A., Bokeriya S.A.</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="ru">Copyright ©; 2026, Киамба А., Бокерия С.А.</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="zh">Copyright ©; 2026, Kiamba A., Bokeriya S.</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2026</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">Kiamba A., Bokeriya S.A.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Киамба А., Бокерия С.А.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="zh">Kiamba A., Bokeriya S.</copyright-holder><ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/"/><license><ali:license_ref xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0</ali:license_ref></license></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/view/49512">https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/view/49512</self-uri><abstract xml:lang="en"><p>Prolonged conflicts have been experienced in almost half of the countries in the Great Lakes region. Despite the robust efforts of mediators and peacemakers, peace processes aimed at resolving these conflicts have not been successful. The relevance of this research stems from the UN’s introduction of a gender perspective into peacekeeping architecture over the past two decades, as well as the increasing role of women not only in peace and security, but also in mediation, negotiation and preventive diplomacy. Based on an interdisciplinary, historical and structural-functional approach, this article aims to identify the role of women as facilitators in mediation and negotiation processes in the Great Lakes region of Africa. In addition, the authors used a case study method to investigate the role of women in negotiations and mediations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to identify challenges to the peace process, as well as the method of analysis of the official UN documents and data, analytical reports of international organizations. The results obtained made it possible to establish that, despite possessing certain attributes that are critical for the successful outcome of peace processes, women are often sidelined from these processes. Women can participate in the entire peace process or in specific phases of negotiation and mediation. Major findings of the research are that women should be empowered by states, conflict parties and supporters to become mediators or negotiators. It is generally recommended that this empowerment should include the development of skills in mediation and negotiation, thereby facilitating effective contributions to the success of peace process outcomes. This experience can be scaled up and used in crisis management in other African states, which will make it possible to implement successfully the recommendations contained in the UNSC resolution 1325.</p></abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="ru"><p>Почти половина стран, расположенных в регионе Великих озер, пережила затяжные конфликты. Мирные процессы, направленные на урегулирование конфликтов, не привели к их разрешению, несмотря на активные усилия посредников. Миротворчество также не увенчалось успехом. Актуальность данного исследования обусловлена внедрением Организацией Объединенных Наций (ООН) гендерной перспективы в архитектуру миротворчества, наблюдаемым на протяжении последних двух десятилетий, возрастающей ролью женщин не только в вопросах мира и безопасности, но и посредничества, а также в переговорах и превентивной дипломатии. На основании междисциплинарного, исторического и структурно-функционального подхода рассмотрена необходимость содействия участию женщин в переговорных, посреднических процессах и в области превентивной дипломатии в районе Великих озер Африки. Кроме того, использован метод кейс-стади с целью исследования роли женщин в переговорном и посредническом процессе в Демократической Республике Конго (ДРК) и выявления проблем на пути мирного процесса. Исследование опирается на официальные документы и данные ООН, аналитические доклады международных организаций. Полученные результаты позволили установить, что женщины часто остаются в стороне от переговорных и посреднических процессов, однако они обладают определенными качествами, которые имеют решающее значение для успешной реализации мирных процессов. Доказано, что женщины могут участвовать во всем мирном процессе или на отдельных этапах переговоров и посредничества. Представлены рекомендации для государств, сторон конфликта и вспомогательных участников по расширению прав и возможностей женщин, включая развитие навыков посредничества и ведения переговоров для эффективного вклада в успешное завершение мирных процессов. Опыт, инструменты и механизмы вовлечения женщин в переговорный и посреднический процесс в ДРК могут быть масштабированы и использованы при урегулировании кризисов в других африканских государствах, что позволит успешно выполнить рекомендации, содержащиеся в Резолюции Совета Безопасности ООН 1325, по увеличению представительства женщин, в том числе в миротворческой деятельности и постконфликтном восстановлении.</p></trans-abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="zh"/><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>Women</kwd><kwd>peace and security agenda</kwd><kwd>WPS</kwd><kwd>mediation</kwd><kwd>negotiation</kwd><kwd>peacekeeping</kwd><kwd>the African Union</kwd><kwd>AU</kwd><kwd>UN</kwd><kwd>UN Security Council</kwd></kwd-group><kwd-group xml:lang="ru"><kwd>Женщины</kwd><kwd>мир и безопасность</kwd><kwd>WPS</kwd><kwd>посредничество</kwd><kwd>переговоры</kwd><kwd>миротворчество</kwd><kwd>Африканский союз</kwd><kwd>АС</kwd><kwd>ООН</kwd><kwd>Совет Безопасности ООН</kwd></kwd-group><funding-group/></article-meta><fn-group/></front><body></body><back><ref-list><ref id="B1"><label>1.</label><citation-alternatives><mixed-citation xml:lang="en">Bokeriya, S. A., &amp; Khudaykulova, A. V. 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