West Africa's Quest for Peace.
Abstract
Sixteen countries make up West Africa, an area of 6.2 million square miles with a population of over 150 million people. With the exception of Liberia, this area welcomed independence in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's. This initial enthusiasm faded away as the area gradually faced economic, social and political difficulties. These problems, coupled with conflicting and competing interests, occasionally resulted in civil wars, disputes and wars between neighboring countries. Except for the long lasting Nigerian Civil War, all the conflicts that broke out were quickly settled and were not of the scale of conflicts that occurred in the areas of the Horn of Africa and in the central region of Africa. These areas have been in conflict for many years. However, peace disturbances in West Africa pointed out the precariousness of the new nations and the weaknesses of the new institutions. Grounded in this perception and drawing on lessons learned from the early disputes and wars, the 16 nations of West Africa joined together and created structures designed to preserve peace.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 09, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA195308
Entities
People
- Joseph K. Konakpo
Organizations
- United States Army War College