Jean-Yves Ollivier, a Swiss-French citizen, is a businessman and facilitator who has played a pivotal role in promoting peace and mediating conflicts, especially in Africa. Drawing on his extensive experience in international trade, he has leveraged his broad network of highlevel connections to facilitate behind-the-scenes negotiations in complex geopolitical contexts since the 1980s.
Jean-Yves Ollivier started his career as a commodities trader, establishing a network of influential contacts worldwide. His experience in international trade prepared him for his subsequent role as a private facilitator in international conflicts, frequently described as “parallel diplomacy.” Unlike traditional diplomats, Ollivier worked discreetly, relying on trust, neutrality, and pragmatism to secure results that official channels often could not achieve.
His discreet facilitation efforts began with the organization of a historic exchange of 136
prisoners in Maputo, Mozambique, in 1987—a key event in the process of resolving conflicts
in Southern Africa, involving six African and European countries and two liberation
movements.
A year later, his efforts led to the Brazzaville Protocol of 1988, involving the United States,
Cuba, Angola, and South Africa. This agreement outlined three major steps: the cessation
of hostilities between South Africa and Angola, the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola,
and the independence of Namibia. This protocol also paved the way for negotiations with
the African National Congress (ANC), leading to the end of apartheid and Nelson Mandela's
release. These actions earned him the distinction of being the only unofficial individual to be
made a Grand Officer of the Order of Good Hope by newly-elected President Nelson
Mandela.
He resumed his mediating role in 1989 when, with the support of French authorities, he oversaw negotiations that led to the departure of Bob Denard from the Comoros.
Jean-Yves Ollivier’s impact also extended beyond southern Africa. In the early 1990s, he helped facilitate talks between the RENAMO rebellion and the Mozambican FRELIMO government, collaborating with President Joachim Chissano.
Together, President Chissano and Ollivier mediated negotiations aimed at a peace agreement between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) under Joseph Kony in 2000. Although an agreement was nearly reached, implementation stalled due to the veto of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which insisted on pursuing charges against Kony.
In 2002, he took part in the early Sun City Agreements in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which sought to lay a foundation for peace and power-sharing among the country’s various factions.
In 2011, Jean-Yves Ollivier worked alongside Amama Mbabazi, then Prime Minister of Uganda, to re-establish dialogue between Uganda and Sudan. This initiative resulted in the opening of a Ugandan embassy in Khartoum, a notable stride toward reconciliation that also contributed to the independence of South Sudan.
Motivated by his goal of institutionalizing his commitment to peace and sustainable development, Jean-Yves Ollivier launched the Brazzaville Foundation in 2015. He opted to base it in the United Kingdom, ensuring the oversight of the UK’s Charity Commission. Under the royal patronage of H.R.H. Prince Michael of Kent, the Brazzaville Foundation benefits from an Advisory Board of eminent figures, including former heads of state who have played decisive roles in their countries’ histories. The Foundation concentrates on key challenges such as environmental conservation, health, and conflict resolution in Africa.
Among its notable achievements is the advocacy of the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin, an initiative showcased during COP22 to protect and sustainably manage the region’s vital resources. This project has expanded considerably, bringing together several participating states.
In 2018, the Brazzaville Foundation hosted the first inclusive inter-Libyan dialogue in Dakar, offering a neutral platform for peace and stability discussions in Libya.
The Brazzaville Foundation organized a forum in Lomé (Togo) on January 18, 2020, bringing
together seven heads of state and the Director-General of the World Health Organization
(WHO). This forum resulted in an agreement entitled the “Lomé Initiative,” aimed at combating
substandard, fake, falsely labeled, falsified, or counterfeit medical products, commonly
referred to as fake medicines, which cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Africans
annually and represent, among other things, a significant source of financing for terrorism.
This initiative will materialize in February 2025 with the implementation of a national plan in
Togo to combat counterfeit medicines, serving as a pilot project for other signatory states.
In June 2024, after significant diplomatic work, he successfully persuaded six major African heads of state and the chairperson of the African Union to travel consecutively to Kyiv and Moscow. This ongoing initiative, carried out under the Brazzaville Foundation, aims to advance an African-led mediation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Jean-Yves Ollivier’s efforts in peace and diplomacy have received international recognition.
Several states have granted him official diplomatic coverage in acknowledgment of his
achievements.
Among the honors he has received are: Grand Officer of the Order of Good Hope delivered
by the newly-elected President Nelson Mandela (South Africa, 1995); Chevalier (1994) then
Officier de la Légion d'Honneur (France, 2015); Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite
(France, 1987); Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Congo (2014);
Commander of the Order of Mono (Togo, 2011); Commander of the National Order of the
Lion (Senegal, 2020); Officer of the Order of the Star of Anjouan (Comoros, 2011); and Officer
of the National Order of Niger (2021).
Ollivier’s involvement in the Brazzaville Protocol and various other peace initiatives is documented in the 2013 film Plot for Peace, directed by Carlos Agullò. The documentary includes testimonies from key participants and previously unseen archives, unveiling the intricate negotiations that paved the way for peace in southern Africa. Recognized internationally, including by the United Nations (which added it to its official archives), the film was showcased at numerous festivals and earned the Award for Best Film on Conflict Resolution at the Hamptons Film Festival.
In 2014, he released part of his memoirs, Ni vu ni connu (Neither Seen Nor Known), chronicling his life as a “political negotiator.” This account provides a rare insight into the discreet and often perilous sphere of back-channel diplomacy, highlighting his pivotal role in events such as the release of French hostages held by Hezbollah in 1988 and his collaborations with figures like Jacques Chirac and Nelson Mandela. He has also penned numerous op-eds in renowned international outlets.
Distinctions
- Grand Officer of the Order of Good Hope by South African President Nelson Mandela (1995)
- Officier de la Légion d'honneur and Chevalier de l'ordre national du Mérite français (1994)
- Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Congo (2014)
- Commander of the Order of Mono in Togo (2011)
- Commander of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal (2020)
- Officer of the Order of the Star of Anjouan, Comoros (2014)
- Officer of the National Order of Niger (2021)
Documentary

Plot for Peace, a 2013 documentary produced by African Oral History Archive and directed by Spanish filmmaker Carlos Agullò, traces Jean-Yves Ollivier's contribution to the peaceful settlement of the conflict in southern Africa. Thanks to the testimonies of the main participants and previously unseen archives, this fascinating historical-political documentary tells the story of how Jean-Yves Ollivier, aka "Mr. Jacques", helped bring about an unprecedented negotiation to achieve peace in Southern Africa. The film became part of the United Nations archives following a screening at headquarters in New York. It also won the Best International Documentary Award at the Galway Film Fleadh and the Brizzolara Foundation Award for Best Film on Conflict Resolution at the Hamptons Film Festival.
Bibliography

Neither seen nor known, Jean-Yves Ollivier has co-written many fascinating pages in the history of the late 20th century. A close friend of Jacques Chirac and Michel Roussin, he played a notable role in the release of the four French hostages held by Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1988. As Jacques Foccart's Missi Dominici in English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, he initiated successful peace negotiations in southern Africa, leading to the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid. With verve and humor, Jean-Yves Ollivier recounts his life as a "political negotiator" - his self-definition. Fascinating in its freedom of tone and action, this account published in 2014 reveals many of the little secrets that make up the big story.
Commitments
SINCE 2014
- Hostage mediation in Central African Republic
2016
- Presentation of the Congo Basin Blue Fund project at the plenary session of the African Action Summit, organised at COP22, in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco
2017
- Intervention to resolve the political crisis following the departure of President Laurent-Désiré Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Participation in the signing of the memorandum of understanding on the creation of the Congo Basin Blue Fund, in Oyo, Republic of Congo
2018
- Organisation of the intra-Libyan dialogue in Dakar, Senegal
- Appointment of Goodwill Ambassadors of the Congo Basin Blue Fund
2020
- Organisation of a series of meetings at the highest diplomatic level to prevent possible conflicts in Ivory Coast
- Organisation of the Lomé Summit and the Lomé Initiative against Medicines that kill
2021
- Intervention at the round table at high level "From COP22 to COP26: The Congo Basin Blue Fund, an African and global issue.
- Participation in COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland
2022
- Participation in COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
2023
- Facilitating Russia-Ukraine dialogue
2024
- Organisation and participation in the first edition of the Marrakesh Meetings