It has been argued that Africa has been sidelined in the global ICT revolution and that African societies appear to be cut off from global flows of information. Nevertheless, the manner in which... Show moreIt has been argued that Africa has been sidelined in the global ICT revolution and that African societies appear to be cut off from global flows of information. Nevertheless, the manner in which war was waged in Somalia between 1991 and 1994 indicates that this global revolution has affected the manner in which war has come to be waged in Africa. African societies may indeed be cut off from owning and controlling the streams of images that reflect their continent, but they may, however, at times come to temporarily hijack and divert this stream of images, and ensure that images that support or reinforce their political aims come to be released into the global flow. In the case of Somalia, the real-time images of dead US soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu were sufficient to make the United States end their involvement in Somalia. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Book abstract] Show less
Many inter-State and intra-State conflicts in Africa become more complex by being extended into 'proxy wars', i.e. secondary, often 'low intensity' armed conflicts, pursued in the context of a... Show moreMany inter-State and intra-State conflicts in Africa become more complex by being extended into 'proxy wars', i.e. secondary, often 'low intensity' armed conflicts, pursued in the context of a major power struggle, or outright wars between States carried out by subsidiary or co-opted insurgent movements, usually of an ethno-regional nature. In the Horn of Africa, the proxy war phenomenon is visible owing to alliances behind the scenes, the involvement of neighbouring countries, and frequent changes of allegiance. The proxy war strategy was pursued by both players in the 1998-2000 border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, not only in the enemy country but also in neighbouring States. Since the peace agreement of June 2000, the importance and impact of the proxy war factor has declined somewhat, but whether this decline will contribute to the building of a 'lasting peace' is not at all certain. The experience of tenuous negotiation during the past two years seems to indicate otherwise. The author argues that the threat of regional instability by proxy conflict remains, as long as the Ethiopian and Eritrean regimes are unwilling to make real peace with each other. App. (list of insurgent movements), bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
Pour analyser les conflits qui ont lieu actuellement en Afrique de l'Ouest il faut remonter loin dans l'histoire. Il convient d'examiner la période antérieure aux indépendances qui datent, pour la... Show morePour analyser les conflits qui ont lieu actuellement en Afrique de l'Ouest il faut remonter loin dans l'histoire. Il convient d'examiner la période antérieure aux indépendances qui datent, pour la plupart, des années 1960. Tandis que les conflits constatés dans la région sont principalement liés au contrôle des États modernes (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinée, Guinée-Bissau) et de leurs richesses, ces luttes sont liées aussi à des processus historiques plus profonds. En conséquence, on ne devrait pas être surpris de voir resurgir actuellement des institutions et des pratiques associées à ceux-ci. Des sentiments d'exclusion, en premier lieu, enveniment les relations de voisinage dans certains pays de la région, notamment au Liberia et en Côte d'Ivoire. Les Malinké ou 'Mandingos' sont perçus de plus en plus comme migrants étrangers. L'auteur rappelle les sources historiques de la 'question mandingue' et remarque ensuite le regain d'importance des sociétés initiatiques, qui, dans le contexte de la faiblesse des États modernes, sont utilisées comme moyen d'encadrement politique et militaire dans les luttes factionnelles actuelles. Finalement, il cerne la manière dont s'effectue la concurrence commerciale dans sa relation au pouvoir politique, qui rappelle tout à fait l'histoire précoloniale. Show less
This report constitutes a synthesis of three case studies of intrastate conflicts in Africa. Research was conducted in the context of the Conflict Policy Research Project executed by the... Show moreThis report constitutes a synthesis of three case studies of intrastate conflicts in Africa. Research was conducted in the context of the Conflict Policy Research Project executed by the Netherlands Institute of International Relations 'Clingendael' for the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conflicts concerned are the civil wars in Liberia, Rwanda and Sudan. The details of these conflicts and the policy interventions undertaken by the Netherlands and other actors vis-aI_-vis these countries can be found in the respective reports (M.V. van Baarsen: The Netherlands and Sudan: Dutch policies and interventions with respect to the Sudanese civil war; P. Douma: The Netherlands and Rwanda: a case study on Dutch foreign policies and interventions in the contemporary conflict history of Rwanda; K. van Walraven: The Netherlands and Liberia: Dutch policies and interventions with respect to the Liberian civil war). The present contribution presents the main conclusions and arguments of the three country studies. It briefly describes the issues, actors and dynamics of the intrastate conflicts in Sudan, Rwanda and Liberia and summarizes the political, humanitarian and post-conflict interventions undertaken by the Netherlands and other actors (Ecomog, United Nations, Inter-Governmental Authority for Development, IGAD) Show less
La guerre de 1989 … 1997 au Liberia a constitu‚ un observatoire des pratiques de violence, y compris dans le domaine de l'invisible. Certaines techniques utilis‚es par les guerriers, telles l... Show moreLa guerre de 1989 … 1997 au Liberia a constitu‚ un observatoire des pratiques de violence, y compris dans le domaine de l'invisible. Certaines techniques utilis‚es par les guerriers, telles l'utilisation d'amulettes ou les pratiques d'anthropophagie, ont ‚t‚ qualifi‚es par les Lib‚riens de "sorcellerie" (en anglais … la fois 'sorcery' et 'witchcraft'). Ce terme semble avoir chang‚ de sens au fil du XXŠme siŠcle. Cet article ‚tudie ces changements et montre comment la constitution d'un pouvoir oligarchique est all‚e de pair avec la red‚finition de certaines repr‚sentations religieuses. Notes, r‚f., r‚s. en fran‡ais et en anglais (p. 205) Show less
This study analyses Dutch foreign policy towards Liberia during the civil war between 1990 and 1997 with the aim of identifying policy options for the improvement of the Dutch contribution to... Show moreThis study analyses Dutch foreign policy towards Liberia during the civil war between 1990 and 1997 with the aim of identifying policy options for the improvement of the Dutch contribution to international interventions in violent conflicts in Third World countries. An introductory chapter on sources and concepts is followed by a chapter on the background and causes of the civil war in Liberia. Ch. 3 deals with interventions by other external actors - the United States, the OAU and the United Nations, and Ecomog (ECOWAS Cease-Fire Monitoring Group). Ch. 4 focuses on the role of the Netherlands, paying attention to both project interventions and political and diplomatic initiatives. The Dutch policy is assessed and conclusions are presented in ch. 5. Show less
This article deals with the civil war which broke out in Liberia on 24 December 1989, when 100 or more fighters claiming allegiance to the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by... Show moreThis article deals with the civil war which broke out in Liberia on 24 December 1989, when 100 or more fighters claiming allegiance to the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by Charles Taylor, advanced over the border from C“te d'Ivoire to attack the town of Butuo in Nimba County. The article examines how Liberia descended into conflict and why it took such violent form. It surveys the political and military events that took place since the NPFL invasion, paying attention to the collapse of the government, the arrival of the Ecomog intervention force in Monrovia in August 1990, the murder of President Doe by Prince Johnson's Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), the role of Ulimo (United Liberation Movement for Democracy), an organization formed in 1991 by Liberians who had taken refuge in Sierra Leone, the emergence of warlords, the progress of negotiations and developments following the Cotonou Peace Accord of July 1993. It suggests that the causes of the war are not only political, but may also be explained in religious or spiritual terms. Much of the information in the article was acquired during a field trip to Liberia in July 1994. Show less
