Contemporary conflicts in Africa and the roles of the OAU and sub-regional organisations in conflict management

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Periodical article

Title:	Contemporary conflicts in Africa and the roles of the OAU and sub-regional organisations in conflict management
Author:	Oche, Ogaba
Year:	2000
Periodical:	Nigerian Journal of International Affairs
Volume:	26
Issue:	1
Pages:	78-98
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Africa
Subjects:	OAU civil wars African organizations
Abstract:	The article examines the changing nature of conflicts in the African continent in the post-Cold War era. Major features of contemporary African conflicts include their intra-State character, the extensive use of small arms, and the involvement of child soldiers. It provides a definition of conflicts based on the pursuit of incompatible or irreconcilable goals as they relate to issues of identity, participation, distribution, and legitimacy. A broad review of the historical and the contemporary roles of the OAU and various subregional organizations in African conflict management reveals that their major failings derive from their institutional weaknesses, which are further compounded by the very nature of contemporary African conflicts. Notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]