Conflict management in Africa

In many African countries, violent conflicts have slowed down economic and social development, if they have not actually pushed it backwards. In order to manage conflicts in a non-violent manner, governance methods adapted to the development process are needed. Effective conflict prevention, however, demands thorough understanding of the origins and dynamics of these conflicts. The outcome of a meeting jointly organised by the Development Centre and the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, this volume considers the options available to donors in the effort to prevent conflict and enhance prospects for peaceful social, economic and political development. Despite the complexity of the subject, the contributors to the book arrive at some prudent conclusions of interest to policy makers. At the national level, action programmes should promote social, political and economic justice; empower civil society through skill, knowledge and resource transfer; develop good governance for conflict management; and accommodate different groups and interests in society. Internationally, a greater sensitivity to conflict issues is needed within broader development efforts. The international community should seek to provide the means by which conflicting groups can negotiate their own solutions to tension, rather than imposing externally devised solutions.