Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning to you. My topic today is war and peace in Africa and world order. As we all know, war and peace are related together as two sides of the same coin. However I would like to begin by peace, because peace is a human value together with justice and equality. I don’t mean peace in the negative sense that is just the absence of war, but the provision of conducive environment for the fulfilment of human potential. But alas, war remains a fact of life and other side of the coin as I mentioned. Now tossing up in the air, this coin for Africa, which size does it show? War or Peace? And how does Africa compares with Europe and Asia with regard to war and peace and world order? On a comparative note, Africa is like Europe and Asia, in that it’s an old continent with rich history. It’s still archeologically excavations and diggings show evidence early life and early civilisation. However, unlike Europe, Africa’s appearance in the stage of the world order came a little late. Africa did not go to war for 30 years as did in Europe to end Westphalia. The war that leads to Westphalia in Europe paved the way for world order then extending to a whole world. Africa is a product of this 19th century world order and it did not contribute to it. Its contribution came a little later. Like Asia, Africa has seen in the past forms of politis and states, but unlike Asia, African states did not have the continuity and pro-activity of the Asian, Chinese, Japanese states. In a nutshell, Africa steps into the world arena passively after the Berlin conference in 1885 and positively after the Second World War. Following the Second World War, a number of African states obtained their independence, and all came under the umbrella of the Organisation of African Unity, recognizing their sovereignty as independent states and preserving their territorial integrity. OAU did not favour self-determination for the risk of territorial disintegration of those states at that time. The African Union followed soon after Organisation of African Unity, and it had the task of intervening and mediating in conflict in and between African states. In some cases its interventions bore fruits and lead to stability and peace. But to be honest, the task for the African Union is awesome, because the frequency of wars and conflicts in Africa seem never to stop compared to other continents. There are a number of interstate wars, there are equally more intra-state wars. Regarding the interstate wars in Africa, most of this stem from conflict over borders. Borders inherited from colonial rule and conflict over territorial claims. For example, the war between Somalia/Ethiopia and Ethiopia/Eritrea, between Chad, Libya over the Aozou region and many other cases. The African Union played its role in intervening arriving at truce or settlements between interstate conflicts and wars, but it’s challenge came with the intrastate wars and conflicts and these are deep seated conflicts arising from a number of factors. I would very generally, very briefly enumerate four factors behind intrastate conflicts and wars. The first has to do with deep seated disparities between regions and ethnic groups over distribution of power and wealth immediately after independence. Some regions and ethnic groups felt that they were discriminated against and marginalized and did not have their share in wealth and power structures. There are many examples to quote here: the Biafra war for example, in Sudan also war between the North and the South and many other examples. And sadly enough, some of these wars were funded by also interventions from outside the continent. Another factor fanning intrastate conflict and strive is the autocrats tactics to ensure their political survival. They tend in most cases to eliminate rivals and opponents most often exclusively from other ethnical regional groups thus precipitating internal war and conflicts. A third factor has to do with resource-mining war. Some observers came to label this as second scramble for Africa. This has coincided with a search with interest from outside sources for raw materials in Africa. It has shown for example in the diamond war in West Africa, oil war in Sudan, landgrabbing in a number of countries. International competition also had been find by the intervention of new incomers to Africa, like China, like Japan also competing with western countries and companies over the raw resources in Africa. The fourth type of intrastate conflict shows itself in example of the Jihadi war and this is a new type of conflict. It is a manifestation of deep-seated problems in those societies. A good example to show here is Boko Haram for example in West Africa; the Shabab Somali in Somalia and Kenya and also now the Islamic State in ISIS in Libya. So in conclusion, Africa has the will and intention to contribute to world order but it has been held back by its own internal problems and conflicts. And I think it is a mistake to think that African wars and strives are for the Africans alone to sort out. This is no more the case now with globalisation and also with intervention from different foreign agents. We see on our TV screens scores of youth crossing the Mediterranean for Europe. I think the solution is not to grant them refugee status, though no one is against that, and it’s not also to turn back to where they’re come. I think the real solutions for this type of manifestations of internal conflicts and other conflicts: the sound real solution is to work with African states, civil societies, local communities, academics, to solve the root causes of internal strife, repression, poverty and marginalization and only by doing this, we can pave the way for a future to these generations. To conclude, the causes of African wars and strife are not exclusively of African origins although taking place in Africa. This recognition would open the way for constructive engagement between all consent to work towards framework of peace, but not just negative peace, positive peace, peace that avails conductive environment for the Africans and the world at large to fulfil their human potential. Thank you.
