Civil Wars and Coups d'Etat in West Africa: An Attempt to Understand the Roots and Prescribe Possible Solutions

by Issaka K. Souaré

Overview

Working from a thematic, empirical-analytical approach, this work surveys the root causes of civil wars and military coups d'état in West Africa, analyzes the implications for the region as a whole, and identifies possible solutions to these armed conflicts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761834250
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/22/2006
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.58(d)

About the Author

A citizen of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Issaka K. Souaré, born in 1976 in N'Zérékoré, works at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London. A Contributing Editor to the London-based review journal, African Renaissance, he is the author of numerous articles relating to Africa. His most recent publications have addressed Franco-African relations, human rights and conflict resolution in Africa, and economic development and regional integration. He is also the author of the best-selling novel, Samassi (2004), and the forthcoming book, 60 Years of Africa in the UN System (1945-2005): Ups and Downs of a Continent in a World Body.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Acronyms & Abbreviations
Chapter 2 Foreword
Chapter 3 Acknowledgements
Chapter 4 Map of ECOWAS states in Africa
Chapter 5 Introduction
Chapter 6 1. A General Overview of West Africa: Concepts and Clarifications
Chapter 7 2. Understanding the Roots of Civil Wars in West Africa
Chapter 8 3. Explaining Coup d'État in West Africa
Chapter 9 4. Cost and Consequences of Armed Conflicts in West Africa
Chapter 10 5. Suggesting Possible Solutions to Civil War and Coups d'État in West Africa
Chapter 11 6. Case Studies
Chapter 12 Bibliography
Chapter 13 Index

Editorial Reviews

Issaka Souaré…emphasizes that better governance, more genuine democracy, and better living conditions for the people of an area now suffering from widespread poverty are needed to make West Africa more peaceful and stable.

Africa Week - Jonathan Derrick

[Souaré] writes not as a disinterested observer, but as a researcher with deep compassion for the subject matter, the people of West Africa, and the continent as a whole. I recommend this book to…historians, political scientists, students of international relations, as well as those involved in conflict resolution and African studies.

Joe L. Washington

This book addresses the root causes of [political instability]…and puts forward many valuable recommendations for preventing and resolving them. While some authors, for reasons sometimes unclear, have tended to…ignore or even distort ECOWAS's contribution…[Souaré] appreciates our efforts and does not shy away from constructively scrutinizing them...

Mohamed Ibn Chambas

This book is an exceptionally lucid, perceptive, and informative interpretation of West Africa's turbulent postcolonial experience-encompassing causes, consequences, and the search for African solutions. The African body politic is ailing. Issaka Souaré has provided us with an insightful diagnosis and some guidance for the healing process.

Ali A. Mazrui

Issaka Souaré…emphasizes that better governance, more genuine democracy, and better living conditions for the people of an area now suffering from widespread poverty are needed to make West Africa more peaceful and stable.
— Jonathan Derrick

Africa Week