The Palgrave Handbook of Peace, Conflict and Security Studies in Africa

by Elias O. Opongo (Editor), David Kaulem (Editor), Susan M. Mbula (Editor), Sarah Njeri (Editor)

Overview

The Palgrave Handbook of Peace, Conflict and Security in Africa is a groundbreaking reference resource that offers an interdisciplinary and decolonial exploration of peace, conflict, and security across the African continent. It features theoretical articulations that explore new approaches to peacebuilding in Africa, rethinking peacebuilding strategies and decolonized approaches to governance and peace sustainability. The volume is organized into three thematic sections—Peace, Conflict, and Security—each addressing the theoretical foundations, methodological innovations, and emerging challenges that shape Africa’s unique peace and security landscape. The chapters provide both theoretical and methodological insights while highlighting locally grounded strategies and alternatives to dominant Western frameworks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783031929243
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	10/30/2025
Series:	Political Science and International Studies
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	497
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Dr. Elias Omondi Opongo, (lead editor) is an associate professor of peace studies and international relations, and Director at the Centre for Research Training and Publications, Hekima University College, Kenya

Dr. David Kaulem is the Dean of the School of Education and Leadership at Arrupe Jesuit University in Harare, Zimbabwe

Professor Susan Kilonzo is a Lecturer in the Department of Religion and Sociology at Maseno University, Kenya

Dr. Sarah Njeri is a Lecturer in the Department of Humanitarianism and Development, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK

Table of Contents

1. General Introduction.- 2. Reconceptualizing Theories in Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies in Africa.- 3. Peace and Conflict Studies in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Overview of the Field and Practice.- 4. Education for Peace: The Case of Anglophone Cameroon.- 5. Reconciliation, Art, and Culture in Divided Societies in Africa: A Case of Uganda and Rwanda.- 6. Transitional Justice in Post-Conflict Societies in Africa: A Call for Contextualization.- 7. Parachute Peacebuilding: Interrogating CSOs and NGOs in Peace and Development in Africa.- 8. Of African Ways: Understanding Peace, Conflict, and Security through African Traditional Approaches.- 9. Peace, Culture, and Indigenous Conflict Resolution in Zimbabwe & South Africa.- 10. Peacebuilding and Mental Health: A Review of Psychosocial Support Strategies in Post-Conflict Africa.- 11. News Media and Communication of Elections in East Africa: Implications for Peace Sustainability.- 12. Slave Trade, Firearms, and the Colonial Soundscapes of Mimicked Insecurity in Modern Africa.- 13. ‘We Shall Not Wait for Karamoja to Develop’: Contextualizing Out-Migration in Uganda.- 14. Militias ‘Gone Rogue’: Why Pro-Government Militias Turn Against Their Sponsors.- 15. Violent Extremism, Religion, and Security in Somalia and Kenya.- 16. Democracy, Citizen Participation, and Violence: Rethinking Democracy in Africa.- 17. Rethinking the Role of Traditional Leaders in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding in Africa.- 18. Education and Decolonization in East Africa: Kenya’s Airlift Scholarships in the Cold War Period.- 19. Conflict Monitoring and Early Warning Research in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo.- 20. State Fragility, Small Arms Proliferation, and Security in West Africa.- 21. Climate Security in Africa: Climate Change, Displacement, and Conflict in Northern Mozambique.- 22. Peace Policy Research, Advocacy, and Political Change in Africa: A Methodological Assessment.- 23. Gender, Conflict, and Peacebuilding Theories in Africa: Theorizing Loketio as a Deterrence Theory. 24. Decolonizing Peace Agreements: Localizing Disarmament and Conflict Resolution in the Central African Republic.- 25. Reconceptualizing Demobilization, Demilitarization, and Reintegration in Post-Conflict Africa.- 26. Youth Crime and Urban Security in Africa: A Gendered Analysis for Inclusive Peacebuilding.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“By bringing together African scholars and practitioners to consider Africa’s changing peace, conflict and security landscape, this work helps decentre dominant western perspectives. This is a much needed and comprehensive contribution to our field that combines theory, concepts, practice and case studies. The book is highly recommended.” (Roger Mac Ginty, Professor in Defence, Diplomacy and Development at Durham University's School of Government and International Affairs, UK)

“This is an important book about peace and security in Africa because it is written by Africans. Too often, the maxim of 'African solutions to African problems' is merely declaratory. And too often, the loudest voices on peacemaking and peacebuilding on the continent are those of non-Africans. This volume provides a platform for informed African voices. Their insistence on an approach that is human-centred, inclusive, decolonial and grounded in social justice is bound to make more progress than conventional Western approaches.” (Laurie Nathan, Director of the Mediation Program in the Keough School's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA)

“This volume is a timely and significant scholarly contribution at a moment when both Africa and the wider world are grappling with deepening conflicts and complex security challenges. The critical engagement with the nuances of conflict, peacebuilding, and security could not have come at a more urgent and relevant time. It offers invaluable insights for academics, policymakers, and practitioners committed to building sustainable peace across the continent.” (Molly Manyonganise, Senior lecturer at the Zimbabwe Open University and a Research Associate of the Department of Religion Studies, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, South Africa)