African Peace, Security and Conflict Management: An African international society approach

Abstract

Premised on the assumption that addressing security challenges in Africa is central to resilient and peaceful communities, this dissertation explores the evolving foundations and condition of regional international society in Africa since the transition from the OAU to the AU in 2001, and how the ideas that constitute it have been translated to address conflict and security challenges. The dissertation argues that the International Society perspective of the English School provides a useful lens for understanding the increased assertiveness of Africans, through the AU, to own, control and find solutions to governance and security problems on the continent. Accordingly, the study traces and explores, holistically, emerging conceptions and ideas of an African international society by examining the development and propagation of four ‘cardinal’ normative practices- African democratic normative practices; normative practices around African sanctions; normative practices around security governance and peace operations; and finally, normative practices around post-conflict criminal justice.