Regional Economic Communities and Peacebuilding in Africa

Regional Economic Communities and Peacebuilding in Africa
Author: Victor Adetula
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2020-12-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 100034276X

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This book outlines challenges to the effective operation of regional economic communities (RECs) with regards to peacebuilding in Africa. Critically examining these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, with a focus on comparative analysis of the status, role, and performances of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), it examines particular constraints to their effective participation in regional initiatives. Focussing on inadequate technical capabilities, the complicity of state and non-state actors in conflicts within a region, the domestic politics of member states, it additionally addresses related theories and practices of peacekeeping, security, development, and the peacebuilding nexus. It also engages provisioning, regionalism, and regional peacekeeping interventions, the legal and institutional framework of RECs, and civil society and peacebuilding. Fundamentally, the book asks how effective the alliances and partnerships are in promoting regional peace and security and how much they are compromised by the intervention of external powers and actors, exploring new ideas and actions that may strengthen capacities to address the peacebuilding challenges on the continent effectively. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of African politics and studies, peace and security studies, regionalism studies, policy practitioners in the field of African peacebuilding, and more broadly to international relations. The Open Access version of this book, available at: http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003093695, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Regional Economic Communities and Peacebuilding in Africa

Regional Economic Communities and Peacebuilding in Africa
Author: Victor Adebola O. Adetula
Publisher:
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2016
Genre:
ISBN: 9789171068002

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African states have responded to the challenges of the post-Cold War international system mostly by collectively promoting subregional and continental-wide initiatives in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Admittedly, the existence of many violent conflicts in Africa, as well as their 'domino' effects at the sub-regional level, contributed significantly to the growing desire for collective security systems and conflict management mechanisms. The broadening of the role and functions of African regional organisations to include responsibility for peacebuilding and conflict management generally adds credence to the efficacy of regional integration. Many issues, however, present themselves in the engagement of RECs with the peacebuilding process in Africa. Although primarily set up to promote economic integration, Africa's RECs have increasingly taken up a prominent role in conflict resolution and peace support operations, as evident in the recent peace processes in Burundi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Mali, Congo DRC, Sudan, and South Sudan, among others. In spite of the challenges they face, RECs are capable of playing important roles with regard to peace mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Supranational Institutions and Peacebuilding in Africa

Supranational Institutions and Peacebuilding in Africa
Author: Redie Bereketeab
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2024-09-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1040127827

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This book analyses the role of the African Union and regional economic communities in contributing to peacebuilding in Africa. Big and small conflicts rage across the African continent, and this book argues that the African Union and the five regional economic communities have the potential to greatly contribute to peace and peacebuilding In Africa. Looking across the African Union and the five regional economic communities (the AMU, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, and SADC), the book considers in detail the organizations’ programmes, engagement, endeavours, success and failure of activities of peacebuilding in their respective regions. Overall, the book argues that an institutionalised and formalised relationship between the African Union and the regional economic communities would not only be decisive for the prospects for peace in the region but would also serve to strengthen the continent’s role on the global stage through asserting its agency, owning its agenda, and designing its own solutions and mechanisms for addressing problems. Drawing together an international team of prominent experts, this book will be of interest to researchers, policymakers, NGOs, activists, and regional and international actors working on African politics, security, governance, and economics.

Regional Economic Communities

Regional Economic Communities
Author: Olutayo, Akinpelu O.
Publisher: CODESRIA
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2015-12-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 2869786328

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This book examines how the existence of overlapping regional institutions has presented a daunting challenge to the workings of various Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on the African continent. The majority of the African countries are members of overlapping and, sometimes, contradictory RECs. For instance, in East Africa, while Kenya and Uganda are both members of EAC and COMESA, Tanzania, which is also a member of the EAC, left COMESA in 2001 to join SADC. In West Africa, while all former French colonies belong to ECOWAS, they simultaneously keep membership of UEMOA, an organization which is not recognized by the African Union (AU). Such multiple and confusing memberships create unnecessary duplication and dims the light on what ought to be priority. Various chapters in this book have therefore sought to identify and proffer solutions to related challenges confronting the workings of the RECs in different sub-regions of the African continent. The discourses range from security to the stock exchange, identity integration, development framework, labour movement and cross-border relations. The pattern adopted in the book involves devolution of related discussions from the general to the specific; that is, from the continental level to sub-regional case studies.

The Civil Society Guide to Regional Economic Communities in Africa

The Civil Society Guide to Regional Economic Communities in Africa
Author: Odhiambo, Morris
Publisher: African Minds
Total Pages: 138
Release: 2016-03-02
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1920677968

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Since 1963, when the African integration project was born, regional Economic Communities (RECs) have been an indispensable part of the continent's deeper socioeconomic and political integration. More than half a century later, such regional institutions continue to evolve, keeping pace with an Africa that is transforming itself amid challenges and opportunities. RECs represent a huge potential to be the engines that drive the continent's economic growth and development as well as being vehicles through which a sense of a continental community is fostered. It is critical therefore that citizens understand the multi-faceted and bureaucratic operations of regional institutions in order to use them to advance their collective interests.

Africa's New Peace and Security Architecture

Africa's New Peace and Security Architecture
Author: J. Gomes Porto
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 332
Release: 2016-04-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317183991

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This volume offers an informed and critical analysis of the operationalization and institutionalization of the peace and security architecture by the African Union and Africa's Regional Economic Communities (RECs). In creating this architecture, the African Union and the RECs tread new ground with potentially significant consequences to the lives and livelihoods of millions of Africans who are affected by war and armed conflict. In-depth, critical chapters inform, clarify and provide key points for reflection on the architecture as a whole as well as on each of the structures currently under implementation. The volume examines the institutions that will carry the mandate forward, raises pertinent research questions for the successful operationalization of the architecture and debates the medium and long-term challenges to implementation. Students and researchers of African approaches to peace building, conflict resolution and regional security will benefit from the deep and critical engagement of issues covered in this volume by world renowned scholars and practitioners.

Compendium of documents relating to regional and sub-regional peace and security in Africa (second edition) (2021)

Compendium of documents relating to regional and sub-regional peace and security in Africa (second edition) (2021)
Author: Marko Svicevic
Publisher: Pretoria University Law Press
Total Pages: 824
Release: 2021-01-01
Genre: Law
ISBN:

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About the publication This Compendium of documents relating to regional and sub-regional peace and security in Africa is the second edition to the 2006 Compendium of key documents related to peace and security in Africa (edited by Dr Monica Juma). It is both an updated and expanded attempt at consolidating the vast legal instruments broadly relating to peace and security on the African continent. More specifically, the Compendium aims to consolidate, both on the regional and sub-regional level, treaties and decisions of regional organisations pertaining to conflict prevention, management and resolution in the African regional and sub-regional context. It ultimately aims to serve as a useful research guide to those involved with matters of peace and security in Africa. Documents and legal instruments included in this Compendium focus on the Organisation of African Unity, the African Union, and its eight Regional Economic Communities: the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This edition also includes additional documents from sub-regional organisations, including documents from the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa Conference on the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, the Gulf of Guinea Commission, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, the Eastern Africa Standby Force, the G5 Sahel, the Indian Ocean Commission, and the Mano River Union. Additionally, each chapter outlines the organisation in question, its principal institutions relating to peace and security, relevant documents and legal instruments, and listed topical decisions, declarations and communiqués by that organisation and its institutions. It also briefly puts forward the details of any military interventions or peacekeeping missions undertaken by each organisation. Finally, the Compendium’s indexes include a list of peace and ceasefire agreements (listed by country), chart of ratifications, a list of useful websites and a selected bibliography.

Politics and Pan-Africanism

Politics and Pan-Africanism
Author: Dawn Nagar
Publisher:
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2020
Genre: Africa
ISBN: 9781788318754

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"Offering an examination of the diplomatic and economic regional power structures in Africa and their relationships with each other, Dawn Nagar discusses the potential and future of pan-Africanism. The three primary regional economic communities (RECs) that are recognised by the African Union as the key building blocks of a united Africa are examined - these are the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). These include Africa's major economies - Egypt, South Africa, and Kenya but are also home to Africa's most conflict prone and volatile states - the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and Lesotho. Providing a detailed overview of the current relationship between these power blocs, this book provides insight into the current state of diplomatic and economic relations within Africa and shows how far there is to go for a future of Pan-Africanism."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Reimagining Security Communities

Reimagining Security Communities
Author: Francis Onditi
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 527
Release: 2021-05-24
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3030708691

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This book utilizes a systems thinking perspective to propose a holistic framework of analysis and practice for the regional security community (“RSC”) arrangement in Africa. In responding to the challenge of improving effectiveness of response to peace and security threats, African states tend to rely on ad hoc mechanisms. However, this approach has been mired with a myriad of structural limitations. The holistic framework reconfigures the traditional “RSC” into a simplified tool kit of “resources”, making this text book ideal for students and advanced researchers in international relations, and all those concerned with regional security and strategic studies.

The African Union

The African Union
Author: Tony Karbo
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2017-11-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 178672328X

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The African Union has been a major factor in establishing peace, security and development in Africa. Today, however, the intranational body is struggling in the midst of a perceived dissipating appetite for supporting continental institutions. Previously seen as the panacea to Africa's continuing problems with violence and corruption in society, under the slogan "African Solutions to African Problems", the African Union, this book argues, seems to have run its course. Recognizing that the measured successes in political emancipation which have been recorded across the African continent do not seem to have translated into economic and social gains for its 1.2 billion citizens, the AU adopted a new development framework dubbed "Agenda 2063". The framework calls on African leaders to rediscover the `Pan African' spirit and to create the `Africa Africans want'. In practice this means a new focus and engagement with the African Diaspora, tapping into their strong track-record in economic development. As this book shows however, there remain deep differences over the meaning, timing and sequencing of pan-African integration. Indeed, different member states have different understandings of the role of the African Union itself. This essential handbook, from one of the leading research institutions on the continent, seeks to uncover what some of those understandings are and why the unification project has remained so elusive.