Combating Civil Wars in Africa

Catherine Wambugu Njagi

doi:10.35544/jjeoshs.v4i1.34

Catherine Wambugu Njagi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.35544/jjeoshs.v4i1.34

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Abstract

The Twentieth and twenty first centuries have been described as the age of anxiety. This is largely due to the many civil wars and conflicts that have been prevalent in our contemporary world, and especially with special reference to Africa which is the worst hit. In particular, armed conflicts been witnessed in Angola, Ethiopia Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan among others. Equally, civil wars have been witnessed in Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan. Sadly, some of these States are at the verge of collapse due to the effect of these unfortunate civil wars and conflicts. Other countries that were affected by civil or ethnic conflicts, albeit at lower levels include: Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Malawi, Senegal, and South Africa. The latter has witnessed xenophobic attacks, especially in May 2008. Terrorism activities have also Increased, as it continues to create tensions among nations, religions, tribes and so on. To this end, this article seeks to explore the causes of civil wars and conflicts in Africa, that bleeds poverty on a mass scale. How can the church participate in curbing these wars and conflicts, and eventually usher-in sanity in these troubled waters? In its methodology, this article strives to redefine war and discusses the characteristics of modern warfare. Through an extensive review of relevant literature, the article has also attempted to explore the place of individual persons, the nation-states and the international network systems in combating civil wars; and lastly, it has endeavored to show the contribution of the church in wrestling out all forms of conflicts in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

Highlights

IntroductionAccording to Tshitereke the so-called tribal wars or more appropriately ethnic wars have troubled humanity since time immemorial.15
Errol Henderson gives the definition from the Correlates of War (COW) project which defines civil war as a sustained military combat, primarily internal, resulting in at least 1000 battle deaths per year, pitting central government forces against an insurgent force capable of effective resistance, determined by the latter’s ability to inflict upon the government forces at least 5% of the fatalities that the insurgents sustain
Collier and Hoeffer agree with Henderson that this Correlates of war definition has been utilized in quantitative as well as case study analysis of civil war

Summary

Introduction

According to Tshitereke the so-called tribal wars or more appropriately ethnic wars have troubled humanity since time immemorial.15 He argues that the only difference now is that this form of conflict has had to go global in accordance with the dictates of contemporary international patterns. Tshitereke gives an example of Sierra Leone where recent reports have revealed the involvement of foreign troops in the conflict brought in to fight on behalf of one or both of the warring factions This enterprise has experienced a boom in the recent years with former military officials of the old establishment working as mercenaries to earn a living.. Tshitereke continues to argue that, in Africa, the situation is further complicated by arbitrary drawn boundaries, many of which consist of straight lines that cut through ethnic group boundaries The consequence of this missing correlation between ethnicity and geography has frequently been dangerous tension that may lead to war. Many other African countries that have two or more distinct religious practices have not been immune to this form of conflict, among them, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Chad and others

Natural resources endowment

Greed and grievances

Findings

Conclusion