Overview

This book concerns the United Nations’ peacemaking, peacekeeping, peace-building, and post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Africa from 1960 to 2021. Succinctly discussed are historic and contemporary peace, security, and economic engagements within 18 countries spanning eight African regions: the Great Lakes; the Economic Community of Central African States; East Africa; the Horn of Africa; North Africa; the Sahel Region; West Africa; and Southern Africa. The book develops a neo-realist and imperialist critique that discusses how resource-rich, conflict-ridden states have become easy targets for capitalists, terrorists, and transnational crime, aligned to geostrategic parochial interests. Critically argued is that endogenous economic growth factors, if applied effectively, can achieve both peace and security, and meet the Global Sustainable Development Goals. Such efforts require constructive engagement with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US. However, the book contends that the cornerstone of multilateral engagement involves Africa’s 55 states and the African Union’s three major pillars: the Peace and Security Council, the African Governance Architecture, and the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Development Centre, which have the ability to move resource-rich, conflict-ridden states out of transnational crime and poverty.   This book offers wide-ranging analyses of contemporary African diplomacy and a compelling critique of UN peacekeeping efforts in Africa, which resonates to scholars  of international relations, peace and conflict studies, and African politics.

Full Product Details

9783030835224

Table of Contents

Reviews

“The book covers an impressive number of cases across the whole of Africa. … it achieves a well-grounded and detailed appraisal of the UN's involvement in Africa, covering a period of more than half a century. In this way, the book will serve as a valuable resource that sketches several critical cases where the UN's role on the continent has evolved and will likely benefit policy-makers and practitioners fundamental to UN-Africa partnerships.” (Linnéa Gelot, Yearbook on the African Union, Issue 3, 2022)

Author Information

Dawn Nagar holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and Masters degrees in Politics and International Relations; and Philosophy from the Universities of Cape Town, and  Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela University), South Africa, respectively.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available