The Palgrave Handbook Of Small Arms And Conflicts In Africa

This handbook provides critical analyses of the theory and practices of small arms proliferation and its impact on conflicts and organized violence in Africa. It examines the terrains, institutions, factors and actors that drive armed conflict and arms proliferation, and further explores the nature, scope, and dynamics of conflicts across the continent, as well as the extent to which these conflicts are exacerbated by the proliferation of small arms. The volume features rich analyses by contributors who are acquainted with, and widely experienced in, the formal and informal structures of arms proliferation and control, and their repercussions on violence, instability and insecurity across Africa. The chapters dissect the challenges of small arms and light weapons in Africa with a view to understanding roots causes and drivers, and generating a fresh body of analyses that adds value to the existing conversation on conflict management and peacebuilding in Africa. With contributions from scholars, development practitioners, defence and security professionals and civil society activists, the handbook seeks to serve as a reference for students, researchers, and policy makers on small arms proliferation, control and regulation; defence and security practitioners; and those involved in countering violence and managing conflicts in Africa.

This handbook provides critical analyses of the theory and practices of small arms proliferation and its impact on conflicts and organized violence in Africa. It examines the terrains, institutions, factors and actors that drive armed conflict and arms proliferation, and further explores the nature, scope, and dynamics of conflicts across the continent, as well as the extent to which these conflicts are exacerbated by the proliferation of small arms. The volume features rich analyses by contributors who are acquainted with, and widely experienced in, the formal and informal structures of arms proliferation and control, and their repercussions on violence, instability and insecurity across Africa. The chapters dissect the challenges of small arms and light weapons in Africa with a view to understanding roots causes and drivers, and generating a fresh body of analyses that adds value to the existing conversation on conflict management and peacebuilding in Africa. With contributions from scholars, development practitioners, defence and security professionals and civil society activists, the handbook seeks to serve as a reference for students, researchers, and policy makers on small arms proliferation, control and regulation; defence and security practitioners; and those involved in countering violence and managing conflicts in Africa. Usman A. Tar is Professor of Political Science and Defence Studies, and Distinguished Endowed Chair of Defence and Security Studies (26RC Endowment) at the Nigerian Defence Academy. He is Director of the Academy's flagship Centre for Defence Studies and Documentation. He is a member of the board of the Social Science Research Council's African Peacebuidling Network (SSRC/APN), New York, USA. Previously he was Associate Research Fellow at the Africa Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Bradford, UK. He authored several books including The Politics of Neoliberal Democracy in Africa (2009), Globalization in Africa: Perspectives on Development, Security and the Environment (2016), New Architecture of Regional Security in Africa (2020), and Routledge Handbook of Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency in Africa (2020). Charles P. Onwurah is a research associate at the Centre for Defence Studies and Documentation, Nigerian Defence Academy. He is pursuing a PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Nigerian Defence Academy. He has published on globalisation, private security companies, small arms and civil militias in Africa.

This handbook takes stock of the African Union’s Vision 2020 to rid the African continent of wars, civil conflicts, human rights violations, and humanitarian disasters – including violent conflicts and genocide – and provides recommendations on how to address contemporary threats to peace and security in Africa. It explores the continent’s current peace and security landscape, including new actors, emerging threats, and the prospects for achieving sustainable peace. With contributions from highly respected experts in the field, both academics and practitioners, the volume unpacks the sources of conflict, instability and the challenges of peace and development, and provides research-based policy advice to guide and inform African governments, policy makers, practitioners, and scholarly audiences on the continent and beyond.

African Conflicts and Small Arms Proliferation The proliferation and use of small arms have had a devastating impact on Africa's security for decades, plunging nations into bloody conflicts that have claimed countless lives, destroyed communities, and sparked humanitarian crises. In this compelling book, the author provides a detailed account of how small arms have fueled African conflicts, examining their origins, spread, and proliferation, and their impact on peace and stability in the region. The book highlights how African nations have become the dumping ground for millions of cheap, readily available firearms from various sources, including rogue arms dealers, illicit arms trafficking networks, and even domestic manufacturers. Despite numerous global initiatives aimed at controlling the proliferation of small arms in conflict zones, the author emphasizes that the likelihood of succeeding in this fight is minimal unless there is a concerted effort to address the root causes of violence and disentangle the complex web of socio-economic, political, and cultural factors that create conditions of instability and violence. The book concludes by offering several recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders on ways to mitigate the impact of small arms and promote peace and security in Africa. Overall, Small Arms and African Conflicts is a carefully researched and thought-provoking book that offers a compelling account of a deadly phenomenon that has plagued the African continent for far too long. It is an essential read for scholars, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of African conflicts and the role of small arms in fueling violence and undermining stability on the continent.

This handbook offers a critical assessment of the African agenda for conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding; the challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s regional organisations in their efforts towards building sustainable peace on the continent; and the role of external actors, including the United Nations, Britain, France, and South Asian troop-contributing countries. In so doing, it revisits the late Ali Mazrui’s concept of Pax Africana, calling on Africans to take responsibility for peace and security on their own continent. The creation of the African Union, in 2002, was an important step towards realising this ambition, and has led to the development of a new continental architecture for more robust conflict management. But, as the volume’s authors show, the quest for Pax Africana faces challenges. Combining thematic analyses and case studies, this book will be of interest to both scholars and policymakers working on peace, security, and governance issues in Africa.

A common feature of conflict in the 1990s is death and suffering from small arms and light weapons. The global diffusion of assault rifles, machine guns, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades, which can be easily carried by an individual or transported by a light vehicle, has greatly intensified the violence of conflicts in countries around the world. This book represents the perspectives of the foremost specialists on light weapons, and it surveys the wide range of policy options open to the international community. These include export and import controls, law enforcement strategies to break up black markets, collection and destruction of weapons following the end of conflict, and efforts to illuminate how small arms and light weapons make their way to the killing grounds of the 1990s.

This book uncovers and analyzes the structures and dynamics of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons that fuel conflicts.