AU-ECOWAS Peace Architecture and Conflict Management in Africa
AU-ECOWAS Peace Architecture and Conflict Management in Africa Ikwuoma Sunday Udochukwu , Dept. of Political Science, University of Lagos Abstract One basic challenge that confronted African states immediately after independence was the management of conflict and peace building. While African states have tried to develop capacity in several areas of their socio-economic, political and security life, gaps, still exist between the nature of conflict confronting the region and the institutional framework for conflict management. At first glance, neither the concept of security communities nor any of the other concepts of security cooperation currently in the academic discourse, such as regional security complex, regional security partnerships or zones of peace, seem applicable to Africa’s emerging peace and security architecture. On the contrary, the continuing presence of violent conflict and humanitarian catastrophes in wide parts of the continent, such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Sudan, the Central African Republic, Chad and Somalia, has reinforced many people’s impressions of Africa as a continent characterized by quasi-Hobbesian anarchy rather than elaborate forms of security cooperation based on a communality of values. The realization of the change in conflict dimension in Africa and its attendant consequences and the less concern by international community led African leaders to consider some of the guiding principles, structure, designs and policies on conflict management. Consequently, the principle of non-interference and respect for territorial integrity of states were revisited and challenged. The process began with the transformation of Organization of African Unity (OAU) to African Union (AU). By the emergence of African Union, the core objective of promotion of peace, stability and security in the continent changed to non-indifference rather than non-interference.
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