This is the executive summary of this publication. One of the important conclusions is that political parties and parliamentarians are important actors in efforts to prevent and manage political violence in the region of West Africa. Most West African political parties have a weak institutional base, which makes the role of individual actors within them, particularly the heads, very crucial. As such, responsible political actors often serve as agents of peace and dialogue through proper civic education of their followers and collaborative work with other actors, including political adversaries. But the actions of some political parties and actors could lead to the opposite effect.  Such actors often instrumentalize group identities for particularistic political goals, especially during election period.