summary report west africa security challenges · mr. mehari taddele maru, the head of the acpp...

A Critical Analysis of Security Challenge in West Africa

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Summary Report

ISS PUBLIC SEMINAR SERIES


Wednesday, November 10, 2010, Inter Continental Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The African Conflict Prevention Programme (ACPP) of the Institute for Security Studies

(ISS) Addis Ababa Office organized a public seminar on ‘A Critical Analysis of Security

Challenge in West Africa.’ The aim of the seminar was to critically analyze the different

pressing security challenges of West Africa which is currently engulfing the region with

socio-economic and political and security implications. The ISS Public Seminar Series is an

important part of the ACPP effort in enhancing human security and building consensus by

providing a platform for sharing information, encouraging policy debates and dialogue on

Africa's peace and security, development and environmental agenda. The aim is to stimulate

quality discussion, in-depth and constructive interaction between policy makers and

participants.

Chair

H.E. Ambassador Andrew Bangali, Ambassador of Sera Leon to Ethiopia and the AU, who

was chairing the seminar, noted that the timing of the seminar was very good to analyze the

security challenges of West Africa "as many issues are going on as we speak".. The

Ambassador then invited the Acting Director of ISS-Addis to make the opening remarks.

Opening Remarks

In his opening remarks, Mr. Mehari Taddele Maru, Acting Director of ISS-Addis, noted that

West Africa with the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), very large


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countries like Nigeria and big population plays a significant role in the peace and security

issues of Africa. He pointed out that as many of these countries have or will conduct their

presidential and parliamentary elections in 2011, a focused discussion on the security

challenges of the region would be a very useful exercise not only for the regional policy and

decision makers but also to other regions of Africa. For this reason, ACPP-Addis decided

to make use Dr Souare’s presence in Addis Ababa to organize a seminar on West Africa.

Presentation

Dr. Issaka K. Souaré, Senior Researcher, ACPP, made a presentation on ‘A Critical

Analysis of Security Challenge in West Africa.’ He first discussed at length the main

security challenges in West Africa. He said that armed conflicts, military coups and

unconstitutional changes of government, mismanagement of electoral processes,

transnational criminality, poverty and illiteracy were main concerns.,

Dr. Debay then gave a detailed background of environmental degradation and natural

disasters as well as the very crucial security challenges that the west Africa is currently

facing.

He said that West Africa has faced both civil wars and inter-state wars. For instance there

were two open inter-state wars in the past. On the other hand there were many civil wars

and regional insurgencies such as in Nigeria, from1967-70; Liberia, 1989-96/99-2003;

Sierra Leone, 1991-2002; Guinea-Bissau, 1998-99; Côte. d’Ivoire, 2002-07; Mali & Niger,

1991-96; 2006-; Senegal, 1981. Military coup data and unconstitutional changes of

government are the hallmarks of West Africa. It has faced many successive governments

being topploed in past decades as recoded in the graph below.


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The overall approach in addressing these security challenges can be grouped into two major

parts: National and Regional and international efforts. The regional efforts include attempts

to improve the governance structure so as to create good governance, democracy and rule of

law, for example Mali in 2010. The other area of intervention has been in betterment of the

election process by trying to make it free and fair. In this regard, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Cape

Verde can be cited as examples. The local NGOs and CSOs also play a role in addressing

the security challenges by trying to improve the poverty, illiteracy and environmental

degradations situations. Dr. Souaré further noted that regional and international efforts to

address the security challenges came from organizations like the AU (for example by

passing the Lome Declaration, 2000 and PSC Protocol, 2004), ECOWAS, UN agencies like


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UNOWA; UNODC; UNDP; UNICEF; UNESCO; UNHCR as well as other regional

organisations and international CSOs.

By way of conclusion Dr. Souaré said that West Africa needs to improve the good

governance of incumbent leaders, electoral processes, and also ensure the rule of law,

address issues of poverty and also transnational crime. It also requires synergy between the

government and CSOs so as to squarely address the security challenges in West Africa.

After the presentation, the Chair opened the floor for question, suggestion and comments.

The session was lively and robust, entertaining divergent views.

Concluding Remarks

Mr. Mehari Taddele Maru, the Head of the ACPP -Addis Ababa made concluding remarks

by saying that the presentation by Dr Souare significantly contributes to a better

understanding of the participants the security challenges west Africa faces and how relevant

it is for the rest of Africa. He thanked Dr Souare, the chair, the other panelists and the

donor community who made the seminar a reality.

-End of the report-

summary report west africa security challenges · mr. mehari taddele maru, the head of the acpp...

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