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James Kriz

Ms. Basile

English 9, Period #7

23 March 2018

Independent Research Project: The Endless Cycle of Conflict in Africa

The problem with ongoing conflict in Africa is the government's failure and inability to

stop the cycle of violence, and the issue of the regions inhabitants having to constantly struggle

to survive. In order to understand why there is so much armed conflict in Africa, people must

look at the root of the problem. After the Cold War, many African countries that had previously

been supported by global powers vying for control of the world, were left on their own with only

their rich natural resources and a lot of weapons to set up a secure, independent nation.

(Gettleman) This sudden abandonment by world powers left a system easily exploited by

corrupt, aspiring leaders. As New York Times writer Jeffrey Gettleman explains, “Suddenly, all

you needed to be powerful was a gun, and as it turned out, there were plenty to go around.

AK-47s and cheap ammunition bled out of the collapsed Eastern Bloc and into the farthest

corners of Africa. It was the perfect opportunity for the charismatic and morally challenged."

(Gettleman) Most of Africa’s conflicts today have an origin of the struggle for natural resources.

With the lack of a stable government in most of these conflict ridden countries, all the people

feel like they have to make decisions to help themselves and cannot rely on the government to

help get them what they need. (Unah) Sadly, mistrust of the government helps drive the endless

cycle of conflict forward in many African countries and leads to innocent people being harmed.

Daniel Bekele, a senior director for Africa Advocacy at Human Rights Watch, explains the
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source of people’s feeling of a lack of trust in their government, “In many resource-rich African

countries, lack of transparency surrounding resource development and revenue facilitates

corruption that cripples the government's capacity to deliver basic services such as health and

education as the funds that could have been spent on such desperately needed services are

instead squandered or embezzled." (Bekele) The corruption in governments has given fuel to

many conflicts by giving armed groups their most powerful weapon, soldiers. Many children are

driven into armed conflict as means of survival, where they become brainwashed and are

exposed to horrors children should never have to experience. Author Lisa Inks explains why

many communities actually encourage their youth to join armed groups, "Communities have

often encouraged and supported youth participation in these armed groups because they feel the

government is leaving their communities behind, such as those in northern Mali, an arid region

long blighted by security problems. One young man from an opposition group in the Timbuktu

region said: “The government does not exist in the far north. Simply go to the desert to see this

absence.” Others describe abuse at the hands of the military or experiences on the wrong end of

corruption." (Inks) Not only do armed conflicts devastate civilian populations, they also cripple

the government’s ability to provide aid to its citizens. According to a study done by a global aid

group, Nigeria could save 13.7 billion dollars in revenue each year if they could end a conflict

that is currently raging between farmers and traditional herders. (Unah) The lack of stability and

leadership in governments has caused and fueled many of the armed conflicts in Africa, as the

deadly circle of corruption, mistrust, and conflict spins around and around.
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The solution to the problem posed by conflicts in Africa lies in aid and support for

development from global organizations and larger countries to help set up stable governments.

This will allow African countries to come up with their own solutions to their problems. While

Africa’s security is a hard problem to solve, intervention by peacekeeping troops will never be a

permanent solution. The trends show that once the peacekeeping presence is removed, conflict

will rise again. African countries need to start creating their own solutions to maximize aid that

is provided. The current problem cannot be permanently solved by military intervention. Author

Lisa Inks explains what a better option might be, "While the crisis is a security challenge, its

solutions do not lie exclusively in security responses. They are rooted in development. Mercy

Corps recently worked with the Malian group Think Peace to conduct research on why

youth—who make up a large share of armed group members—engage in violence in Mali and

what can be done to improve the chances that peace finally takes hold. Conversations between

Mercy Corps researchers and young people, including 71 members of diverse armed groups,

revealed that violence persists largely because too many communities feel unsafe, neglected by

their government, or mistreated by authorities—or all three." (Inks) Development of African

countries is probably the most important goal in order to prevent conflicts, because if people are

able to have access to the technologies brought by development, there will be less of a struggle

for resources because everyone will have what they need to improve their life. Another possible

solution is military intervention. In the past in African conflicts, the trend shows that if you take

out the leaders of violent militant groups, much of the conflict they caused will disappear.

(Gettleman) People must remember though, military intervention does not represent a permanent

solution. Ending conflicts by force will only reset the cycle of violence back to the beginning.
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In order to break the cycle and end conflicts in places like Mali, governments must provide

support for their citizens to discourage them from turning to armed groups for support. There

must be a fair distribution of resources among youth to ensure they trust their government and

believe they can have opportunities in their life. (Inks) A good example of a government solving

conflicts the right way is the steps taken in Nigeria to solve the conflict between farmers and the

Fulani ethnic herders. Author Linus Unah explain what the government is doing, "President

Muhammadu Buhari, who is himself Fulani, has ordered the head of Nigeria’s police to relocate

from the capital, Abuja, to Benue to deal with the crisis. Mr. Buhari has also instructed security

officials to arrest anyone with illegal weapons and said attacks by “suspected herdsmen” would

not be tolerated. The National Economic Council has convened a committee to address the issue.

Nigeria’s federal government is planning to set up “cattle colonies” where cattle would be

housed in large ranches, to decrease nomadic grazing. Some states have banned open grazing;

Benue, for example, has a five-year jail sentence for anyone tending to livestock outside of

ranches." (Unah) While the steps taken by the Nigerian government to end conflict is a positive

sign, more countries need to take steps on their own in order to make aid provided more

effective. There is another great example of people who are creating African solutions to

African problems. It is called the Tana Forum, and it takes place every year in Africa. Author

Daniel Bekele explains what happens at the Tana Forum, "The Tana Forum is an annual

high-level meeting at the Tana lakeside in Ethiopia that brings together current and former heads

of states, senior government and inter-governmental officials, diplomats, academics, the private

sector, and independent groups for an open dialogue to explore African-led solutions to the

complex security challenges on the continent." (Bekele) Meetings like the Tana Forum are
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important because they bring African leaders together to solve African problems. The Tana

Forum should set the standard in Africa for how problems are solved with peace, not conflict.

While solving Africa’s security and conflict problems will be a challenge, leaders can work

together at upcoming Tana Forums and meet more often to discuss how they can solve problems.

Events like the Tana Forum can also be used to eliminate corruption by setting standards for

natural resource use and transparency. (Bekele) As African countries work towards peace and

prosperity, global organizations must not forget to support progressive events like the Tana

Forum. The aid providers must remove themselves from involvement in conflicts and just

supervise development in Africa, while the governments must take responsibility to end armed

conflicts and help citizens get what they need.

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Works Cited

Bekele, Daniel. “Africa’s Natural Resources: From Curse To A Blessing.” ​Al Jazeera​, 12 Apr.

2017, pp. 1-5. ​Aljazeera​,

www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/04/africa-natural-resources-curse-blessing-170

409121054152.html. Accessed 7 Mar. 2018.

Getttleman, Jeffrey. “Africa’s Forever Wars.” ​Foreign Policy​, 11 Feb. 2010, pp. 1-6. ​Foreign

Policy​, foreignpolicy.com/2010/02/11/africas-forever-wars/. Accessed 7 Mar. 2018.

Inks, Lisa. “Terrorism In Africa: Ending Violence in Mali Starts With Building Communities.”

Newsweek​, 23 Sept. 2017, pp. 1-6. ​Newsweek​,

www.newsweek.com/terrorism-africa-mali-al-qaeda-668803. Accessed 12 Mar. 2018.

Unah, Linus. “In Nigeria’s diverse Middle Belt, a drying landscape deepens violent divides.” ​The

Christian Science Monitor​. ​The Christian Science Monitor​,

www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2018/0308/In-Nigeria-s-diverse-Middle-Belt-a-drying

-landscape-deepens-violent-divides. Accessed 9 Mar. 2018.