The Challenge of Stability and Security in West Africa (Africa Development Forum) - Softcover

Since independence, the West African sub-region has been an arena for a number  of  large-scale  conflicts  and  civil  wars,  as  well  as  simmering  and low-intensity  uprisings.  Contrary  to  perceptions,  West  Africa  in  its  post-independence  history  has  experienced  fewer  conflict  events  and  fatalities from conflict than the other sub-regions on the continent. The turn of the millennium  has  witnessed  the  recession  of  large-scale  and  conventional conflict, and it has ushered in new and emerging threats. The specters of religious  extremism,  maritime  piracy,  and  narcotics  trafficking  threaten toundermine some of the progress achieved in recent years.The Challenge of Stability and Security in West Africa critically examines the key drivers of conflict and violence, and the way in which they impact the countries of the sub-region. In addition to emerging threats, these drivers include the challenges of youth inclusion, migration, sub-regional imbalances, and extractives, as well as challenges related to the fragility of political institutions and managing the  competition  for  power,  reform  of  the  security  sector,  and  weakness  of institutions  related  to  land  management.  The  book  explores  how  the  sub-region, under the auspices of the regional organization ECOWAS, has become a pioneer on the continent in terms of addressing regional challenges.The Challenge of Stability and Security in West Africa also identifies key lessons in the dynamics of resilience in the face of political violence and civil war drawn from Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, that can be useful for countries around the world in similar situations. It incorporates knowledge and findings from leading experts and provides insights from academics and development practitioners. Finally, the book identifies possible policy and programmatic responses and directions for policy dialogue at the national and international levels.