PREVENTING CONFLICTS IN AFRICA: THE NEED FOR A WIDER PERSPECTIVE

Extract

A brief glance at Africa would suggest that the methods adopted to deal with conflict prevention have achieved little success. It is clear that there are complex causes of conflict and that one cannot view conflict in a narrow sense, but must take account of political, economic and social factors to truly understand its causes and process. There is evidence that human rights violations predate conflicts: thus arbitrary arrests and detentions, oppression of political opposition groups and individuals, difficulties in socio-economic conditions, and additional border controls often increase during such times. Monitoring the situation of human rights over a period of time can therefore provide indicators of impending disputes. Conversely, human rights violations are also caused by conflicts. Yet, human rights and conflicts are often dealt with separately and this is evidenced in the practice of the UN as well as the Organization of African Unity (OAU).