By Prosper Nzekani Zena

• Notwithstanding laudable successes, incomplete or poorly conceived disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) initiatives have been key factors to high rates of conflict relapse in Africa.

• Reintegration is the most complex and critical yet least prioritized facet of DDR.

• The decision to integrate former militias into the national army is typically a political expediency that impedes military professionalism and increases the likelihood of human rights abuses and instability.

HIGHLIGHTS

• African states’ ability to respond to violent conflict, transnational threats, natural disasters, and other security challenges is severely constrained by limited airlift capacity.

• Like multilateral institutions elsewhere, the African Union and Africa’s Regional Economic Communities should look to partnerships and resource-pooling arrangements to leverage airlift capabilities.

By Terje Østebø

• The rise of Islamic militancy in parts of the Sahel and Horn of Africa poses growing threats to regional stability. The appeal of these militants stems from their ability to tap into and persuade marginalized communities, particularly youth, that their grievances can be rectified by the establishment of a more pure Islamist culture.

POINTS SAILLANTS

• La persistance des conflits dans la région des Grands lacs en Afrique est liée à l’enchevêtrement de la complexité de la politique régionale, des intérêts financiers, de la polarisation ethnique, et d’une gouvernance inefficace et illégitime.

• Les précédents accords de paix ont contribué de manière significative à la stabilité. Leur réussite a cependant été seulement partielle parce qu’ils n’ont pas tenu compte de toutes les causes du conflit.

A surge in large-scale attacks over the past year by Nigerian Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram presents a serious threat to stability in West Africa’s most populous state and the world’s sixth largest oil exporter. The group has successfully expanded its geographic reach, mastered new sophisticated tactics, and targeted symbols of international presence in Nigeria. In this Africa Security Brief, J. Peter Pham assesses the significance of this upsurge, examines the origins and goals of this opaque group, and puts forward priorities for responding to this threat