The Dynamics of Conflicts in Africa in the Early 21st Century

After decades of civil wars, state collapses, famines and genocides, Africa experienced significant developments in the new millennium. Booming economies, the spread of good governance and democracy and the end of armed conflicts were the benchmarks of the new era. Many scholars and politicians are speaking about the African century which will bring unimaginable development in the continent; if we have a look at the statistics and examine the living conditions of ordinary people the change is obvious. Nevertheless, there is still another side of Africa. On this side we find the prolonged conflicts of Sudan and Somalia, the challenges of peacekeeping in the Central African Republic and Mali, and the increasing tensions of Northern Nigeria and the Maghreb. Observing these parts of Africa, one can have an impression that the aforementioned areas remained in the 1990s, the black decade of the continent, and that they were not capable to learn from their own mistakes. Furthermore, we can hardly see the light at the end of the tunnel in case of Mali, the Boko Haram insurgency or the spread of radical ideologies in the Sahel. Therefore, contrary to many optimistic works, this book will concentrate on the dynamics of conflicts and challenges in Africa – not only armed struggles, but other aspect of crises, too. To achieve their goals, the editors asked Hungarian and foreign experts to contribute to the book by the examination of different challenges of the continent. Some of the thirteen articles will explore wider regional or continental issues (Concerted Development Strategy for Africa, BRICS in Africa and the Brazilian approach) while others will focus on more local issues (Black Holes of Insecurity – the North of Mali, The Border Dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea). It is important that the papers describe not only the problems but also the best practices which could contribute to the lasting solution to the crises. The success or failure of the African development will determine not only the fate of the continent but the whole world. Therefore, it is a must to help the stabilisation and peace-building process of Africa, even if it requires sacrifices not only from the locals, but also from the outsiders. The editors believe that we can achieve our aims only by common efforts. Therefore, this book represents a small, but significant example of cooperation from Cameroon to the United Kingdom to help the better understanding and, perhaps, the solution of African woes.