Description
Book SynopsisContemporary Wars and Conflicts over Land and Water in Africa highlights Africa’s tragedy of endless conflicts. Rich in case studies, it examines violent conflicts and Africa’s approaches to conflict resolution. The case studies show that Africa continues to be a chronically unstable space tormented especially by frequent and devastating civil wars of which ethnicity, religion, and bad governance are some of the root causes. These conflicts have occasioned massive human rights abuses, arrested development, reversed or slowed economic growth; created a vicious circle of instability and hunger; and exacerbated levels of poverty and disease in the continent. In the final part of this book, Carlson Anyangwe considers indigenous mechanisms for settling disputes, post-conflict transitional justice systems, and the African Union conflict resolution mechanism which relies, as it does, on the United Nations’ peace and security framework and the peace and security functions of the African regional economic organizations.
Trade Review“In this most relevant and significant volume, Carlson Anyangwe provides one of the most comprehensive and insightful analysis of the array of conflicts in postcolonial Africa. Going beyond history and law, Anyangwe’s book advances, broadens, and deepens the reader’s knowledge as it instigates serious conversations on Africa’s numerous conflicts, from territorial to maritime boundary issues, armed conflicts within and between states, domestic and transborder terrorism as a new dimension of conflicts, and African approaches to resolving the complex conflicts. The extensive coverage of the different conflicts makes this book essential reading for all scholars on modern Africa.”
-- Fonkem Achankeng I, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
“A thoroughly researched and well-written book by Carlson Anyangwe, an expert on African and International Law and a renowned scholar, this book examines case studies on salient aspects of recurrent African conflicts and approaches to conflict resolutions since independence. It provides analytical insights on the more recent yet neglected conflict in Cameroon—a decolonization struggle by Ambazonians (former British Southern Cameroons) from French La Republique du Cameroun. The role of France, Western powers, and African governments in these conflicts is clarified. A must-read for students and scholars of African law, politics, conflict resolution, and history as well as non-academics.”
-- Bridget A. Teboh, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Table of ContentsPreface
List of Acronyms
Introduction
Part One: Boundary and Territorial Conflicts
Chapter 1: Claims and Conflicts over Land Territory and Land Boundary
Chapter 2: Disputes over Maritime Boundary
Part Two: Armed Conflicts Within and Between States
Chapter 3: Sources of Civil Wars: Colonial Hangover
Chapter 4: Sources of Civil Wars: Despotism, Overstay in Power, and Historical Discontent
Chapter 5: Noticeable Features of Africa’s Civil Wars
Chapter 6: Causes of Inter-State Wars in Africa
Part Three: A New Dimension of Conflicts in Africa: Domestic and Transborder Terrorism
Chapter 7: An Overview
Chapter 8: Combating Terrorism through Law
Chapter 9: Punishing Acts of Terrorism
Part Four: African Approaches to Conflict Resolution
Chapter 10: Some Indigenous Mechanisms for Settling Conflicts
Chapter 11: Indigenous System and Transitional Justice: Rwanda’s Gacaca
Chapter 12: The African Union and Conflict Resolution Arrangements
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
