We define a Galois structure on the category of pairs of equivalence relations in an exact Mal'tsev category, and characterize central and double central extensions in terms of higher commutator conditions. These results generalize both the ones related to the abelianization functor in exact Mal'tsev categories, and the ones corresponding to the reflection from the category of internal reflexive graphs to the subcategory of internal groupoids. Some examples and applications are given in the categories of groups, precrossed modules, precrossed Lie algebras, and compact groups.

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We show that the Peiffer commutator previously defined by Cigoli, Mantovani and Metere can be used to characterize central extensions of precrossed modules with respect to the subcategory of crossed modules in any semi-abelian category satisfying an additional property. We prove that this commutator also characterizes double central extensions, obtaining then some Hopf formulas for the second and third homology objects of internal precrossed modules.