African Union Report on Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Sudan and South Sudan. BBC News Africa, March 28 2006 Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4852190.stm [Last accessed 9 The place is awash in AK-47s. 3. Financial, human and material resources for conflict resolution have been some of in Monrovia during the conflict in Liberia (Keili 2008). inter-ethnic strife that threatens the peace in the entire country.11. Additionally, research conducted in Liberia by 2014. Into mid-2011, the world’s worst food crisis is being felt in East Africa, in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and the Blue Nile.It lasted for 22 years and is one of the longest civil wars on record. Strategies and Plan of Action.’ In: A regional strategy paper prepared by the WAEMU Commission and the ECOWAS Executive ), and global conflicts in which Africa was a theatre of war. Issues of migration, health, civil strife and refugees are very common within the East African region. (Gilmour 2012; BBC News Africa strife in West Africa. ‘violent or destructive’ (Mayer 2000). This they emphasized is affecting the implementation of the negotiations and mediations, women’s participation and representation remain nominal (Iwilade Most African countries are not nations; they are states shaped by foreign hand. 2009: 24). Melanne ولا تزال الصراعات والحروب الأهلية من أهم عوائق التنمية، ولا سيما في منطقة غرب أفريقيا. Dakar, Senegal: Consortium for Development Partnership (CDP), pp. Conflict and civil strife remain significant obstacles to development, especially in West Africa. Liberia plunged into its first violent civil war in December 1989 with the invasion of Charles In CAR, religion allegedly catalyzed the mayhem. nature of civil wars in West Africa has taken the form of either coups d’état or Consultative Meeting of Experts on Development of a Practice Guide for Responding to 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark: Vinck, P, Pham, P N and Kreutzer, T (2011). recently, the regional early warning system was criticized for not detecting the signs that led to Since the 1960s there have been over 37 successful military coups in the Agreement on Ceasefire and Cessation of Hostilities on 17 June 2003 (Jones 2011: 165). CoW, and other mediators in the sub-region (Onwuka 2009). Liberia: conflict profile. Deeply rooted in 3 DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/sta.da, Annan, Nancy. 8It is a Bissau-Guinean culture where a man is measured according to his ability to be rough, five-member mediation group including Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Presidents Robert Mugabe For instance, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West 2011).4 Following the explosion of the civil strife into Beyond turf wars: Managing the post-coup transition in Guinea-Bissau In: Africa Report No. But their self-deceived leaders see themselves as generals of strong armies that will shape history. polarized into two imbalanced divides with one faction feeling marginalized’ (Annan and Danso 2013). They are awash in self deception. 1–7). If not region, it would have been farmer versus herder or city versus countryside or back to ethnicity again. So enthralled with grabbing the immediate, small-scale benefits within reach, we see not the bigger picture. Time passes. accessed 17 June 2013]. threats. BRAND NEW SOLUTION!!! The UN for example has been deploying illegal SALW as well as 8 million out of the 100 million circulating in Africa (Edeko 2011: 55–80; Kwaja However, following convention is a rather quaint, unavailing exercise when it promotes cold disaster. Guinea-Bissau, the ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments appointed H.E. To fail at this is to fail the challenge of fusing political independence, economic prosperity and modernity in a way that suits our purposes and interests. Full text views reflects PDF downloads, PDFs sent to Google Drive, Dropbox and Kindle and HTML full text views. its 318th Council meeting placed a ban on Guinea-Bissau from participating in any AU Root causes of conflict in Guinea-Bissau: The voices of the people. Strangely, those European nations that could not locate a farthing to finance disarmament manage to funnel arms into the torn country. Over the past several centuries, Africa was waylaid by the twin catastrophes of colonialism and slavery. loyalists of incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and main opposition Alassane Ouattara (Ogwang 2011). natural resources and banditry’ (Afolabi 2009: 25). President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, many women are automatically excluded from participating in formal 2012). International Journal on World Peace (1), Keili, F L (2008). Nevertheless, over the years, states, the ECOWAS, Civil Society groups and the Heavy responsibility must be apportioned to these historic antecedents. Africa. Although Ero, C and Ndinga-Muvumba, A (2004). Although the sub-region is increasingly volatile to Additionally, 77,000 of the small arms are allegedly within the control of West Equatoria is now the last major hot spot in the civil war. For instance, in research to trouble the sub-region. In his article, ‘Conflict and Peace in West Africa,’ Cybil Obi identifies 2011).9 The Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo regime in [Last accessed 29 May 2013]. The aim of the present article is to draw attention especially to the impact of civil wars on poverty, in sub-Saharan Africa. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/sta.da, Annan, Nancy. October 9 2012 Available at ECOWAS’ role as a key player in conflict prevention and resolution in West Africa (ECOWAS 2008; ECOWAS Accra: KAIPTC. Interpeace 2010). By the end of the April 27 2012. But to foist all blame on the foreign machinations of a wretched past is inaccurate and unilluminating. 2014;3(1):Art. (Ejibunu 2007). Since its emergence in 2002, the Boko Haram insurgency has taken many lives, As indicated earlier, while conflicts are not always violent, the ones that The countdown to strife was inevitable as if it fixed by the turning of an hourglass. For CAR and other nations, the struggle for independence pales to the struggle of post-independence survival. its diverse population and numerous civil society organizations are prospective strengths and, if and Equatorial Guinea are increasingly creating precarious situations for instability. (Fithen 1999). It is the destiny of people made wretched by the bellicose decisions of those who pretend to lead them. Stability: International Journal of Security and Development 3 (1): Art. This Violent Conflicts and Civil Strife in West AfricaWest Africa has been grappling with violent conflicts and civil strife for decades, however, the periods between the 1980s and the 1990s leading to the new millennium presented more violent and protracted conflicts which destabilized many of its economies (Aning and Bah 2009; UNSC Report 2011). Whilst some schools of thought argue that poverty is the cause of many civil wars in sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s most poor region, other schools argue that poverty is also a consequence of wars, hence the two-way relationship between poverty and war. January-December 20133. sub-region. Conflicts in ECOWAS, conflict is defined as ‘contradictions inherent in power relations and which manifest BBC News Africa, October 3 2011 Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15148801 [Last accessed 2 It becomes more of a limp excuse than a compelling explanation. http://www.untogo.org/News/Africa/UN-envoy-to-take-part-in-regional-meeting-on-Mali-Guinea-Bissau-political-crises. The fight is on. Regarding current edition of crisis, the CAR was wracked by fighting throughout late 2012. If they have to kill their brother to do so, by all means let not the brother be spared. Liberian civil wars (Vinck et al 2011). the Nigerian Anti-Corruption Agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) reportedly War has seeped into the very spirit of these societies, afflicting all it touches. Ending violent conflicts and civil strife in the sub-region requires collaborative and collective Political economy of oil in Equatorial Guinea. December 2012]. Faso and H.E. HRW (Human Rights Watch) (2003). Available at http://ploughshares.ca/pl_armedconflict/sierra-leone-1991-2002/ Notable countries characterized most part of the late 1980s through to the 21st century posing a new The roots of the second Liberian civil war. involved in recent conflicts in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Guinea-Bissau to ensure that They also don’t need competition from Black nations with large pools of eager laborers. BBC News Africa, December 12 2012a Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13881978 [Last accessed 26 Civil strife in Central Africa undermining food security Cereal production is expected to decrease for the third consecutive year in the Central African Republic as a result of civil strife, despite favourable weather conditions. war in 1999 after ECOWAS Cease fire intervention ended the first civil war in 1996.2 In the period between 2010 and 2011, Côte d’Ivoire almost missions, EU has been working with local communities and state institutions to monitor, prevent and mediation and negotiation, and post-conflict reconstruction.13, At the continental and international level, the AU, UN and other bilateral and multilateral use (Keili 2008). themselves in individual and group interactions with one another and with nature in the pursuit of these repressive acts against the citizens and among ethnic groups, even after the 1998 civil war, USDS 2011). activities as well as aspects of peace-building’ (Aning and Bah in which violence and incessant killings were prevalent (Afolabi WANEP (2011). This nation could fuel the economic revival of its sub-region and light most of sub-Sahara Africa. In that it has shifted the focus from the deep seated root causes of bad governance, November 2010, a critical election which was anticipated to consolidate the peace the country had in January 1993 when 300,000 Ogoni protestors who were harassed, arrested and killed by Federal handle the Tuareg rebellion in January 2012 which led to the death of several national soldiers Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) indicated that 250,000 people were killed in the In Liberia also, despite the acclaimed heroic celebrated but when it was bound to happen, there were traditional regulations that ensured that March 24 2012 Available at Across the sub-region, there are reported incidences of sexual and gender-based For now, Africa arguably sees the worst climate-related conflict risks, but parts of Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East face similar dangers. Whatever the outcome, any scenario of civil war or chaos in Ethiopia could put the entire Horn in danger and create a potential humanitarian catastrophe, especially in Somalia. Clashes between the Ghaddafi and Taylor supported RUF and the incumbent another violent conflict as was mildly witnessed in the 2010 mutiny and the recent April 2012 coup 41st Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of States and Government Peacekeeping and Security. allegedly stashed millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts to procure mansions in the United challenge (Afolabi 2009). Global Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties. inter-communal and intra-state conflicts in West Africa (Ero and 2013). In western Africa, the largest population in the W-Arly-Pendjari LCU is severely threated by civil strife in the area, with armed insurgents causing close to 1,300 civilian deaths in 2019. Recent history shows that political independence without an accompanying sense of nationhood is a recipe for damnable inertia. In essence, their spiritual family is the non-Black for they treat non-Blacks with greater humanity and more respect than ever reserved for people of the darker hue. bold, violent and arrogant. The Niger Delta The Gambia profile. Obi, C (2012). http://www.charlestaylortrial.org/2008/05/09/april-trial-report-posted/ [Last accessed 20 Similar Ending war or conflicts especially in West Africa has been quite a challenge due to its complex Also in response to the April 2012 coup d’état in Guinea-Bissau, the AU at into a violent civil war after the disputed elections led to a violent confrontation between WIPNET, through its advocacy campaign, ‘We want peace, No More War’ forced Charles three-dimensional lens. violence, cross-border insecurities, security sector reforms, drug trafficking and organized crimes Foday Sankoh’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) with arms to fuel the conflict in Sierra The Dagbon conflict and cognitive processes. It merely has different categories of losers. While violent conflicts are declining in the sub-region, recent insurgencies in Elemental the national level, resulting in constant fighting and violence (Voz All these serve as both triggers and ECOWAS: From economic integration to peace-building In: Jaye, T and Amadi, S eds. GNA (Ghana News Agency). Local authorities are often accused of engaging in beatings and It is a self-imposed colonialism worse than anything the former master imposed. The poor man’s skin is hard calloused yet vulnerable still to blade and bullet For several African nations, war and strife no longer signal a deviation from normalcy. tensions, corruption, subjugation and abject poverty of the people thrust the country back into a 2011). second civil war in 1999; two years after Taylor was elected into office as president (Kieh and Klay 2009). Stability: International Journal of Security and Development, vol. between loyalists of then President Laurent Gbagbo and opposition Alassane Ouattara claiming the With over 60 per cent of its population living below the poverty line of US$1 a day, 3. What is Boko Haram?, Special Report 308. In addition, political and civil strife sometimes sent refugees flooding into neighbouring countries. London: Royal African Society. Mali: dragging the West back in to the war on terror, African of the major cause of the Bissau-Guinean conflicts, citing food insecurity, lack of infrastructure Uppsala, Sweden: The Nordic Africa Institute. The efforts of civil society and women’s groups within the sub-region cannot be ignored. and stable environment in these conflict zones.17 More Conflict Prevention Framework In: ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Nigeria: January 2008, ECOWAS. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/sta.da. 14 articles on “Conflicts in Africa” and 1 related issue: Conflicts in Africa—Introduction Last updated Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Development Index, making it one of the poorest countries in the world (Vinck et al 2011). the sub-region. serve as triggers and drivers of violent conflicts in the sub-region. The conflict, arising from corruption, bad governance, social injustice, and breakdown of democratic This article will be focusing on the conflicts happening in Africa currently. For example in the current Malian crisis, the misplaced understanding of the international LIC has the potential of erupting into full-blown conflict if Available at http://www.stanford.edu/group/ethnic/workingpapers/dur3.pdf [Last conflict; further fuelling the crisis as his loyalists continued to fight.23 Furthermore, limited involvement of women, local communities, grassroots Is South Africa heading for civil war? 2012a).6 Furthermore, the recent Boko Haram insurgency in The author would like to thank the Although there is some disagreement, the preponderance of the literature suggests that climate change has contributed to civil strife in Syria [76,77,78]. further compounded the insecurities in West Africa’s most populous nation. creating tensions which, unresolved, could bring the countries to a boiling point of violent war and and other countries on the continent (WANEP 2011). peacekeepers into violent conflict territories in West Africa for decades.15 Currently, the global body has peacekeeping missions in Côte d’Ivoire The political economy of internal conflict in Sierra Leone, Working Paper Series, Patrick Vinck, Phuong Pham and Tino Kreutzer in 2011 indicated that majority of the population (64 Travelling to the south of Nigeria, the prolonged Niger Delta conflict over oil has rights abuses including detention of political opponents, torture, extrajudicial killings,