Attachments
Editorial
This edition of Conflict Trends begins with an article from Regina M. Mwendwa and Jescah A. Otieno who have written about the use of hard tactics in the informal settlements of Kibera, Nairobi County, Kenya. In their article, they discuss the rise of violent extremism in Kenya, and in particular, the Kibera informal settlements, the violence that residents face and the responses from the government. The authors conducted a study of residents living in Nairobi’s informal settlements and how soft approaches may be better suited to deal with the threats faced by the community.
On the other side of the continent, countries in the Gulf of Guinea are grappling with the threat that piracy poses to their maritime security. Elsie Amelia TachieMenson's article is about the role that maritime security centres have played in West Africa, as well as the technological advancements that have taken place to improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. While instances of piracy have decreased in the Gulf, the threat has not completely dissipated, with the rise of cyberpiracy posing a new challenge to security in the region.
The East Africa region has, and continues to face, a number of issues related to its security and stability.
Faith Chelangat Tonui argues that these challenges have affected the region's ability to develop a strong sense of unity amongst the countries and people of the region.
Her article focuses on the challenges faced by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and how they affect community growth in the country. Despite these challenges, the DRC does offer an opportunity for countries in East Africa to co-operate in efforts to establish lasting peace and stability in the DRC.
In Central Africa, the Anglophone crisis continues to affect Cameroon's stability. One of the aspects of society most affected by the crisis has been education, with boycotts being enforced on children of the region. In this article, Bamnjo Herman Yenika discusses the impact that these boycotts have had on education in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon and how a lack of access to education can affect societies for years to come.
Finally, the last article in this edition is by Igwe Kelechi Njoku and it looks at the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and one of its goals of silencing the guns in Africa. The article argues that in order for Africa to achieve the goals outlined in Agenda 2063 African states need to work together to counter the influence of outside powers. The article continues that a fully operational African Peace and Security Architecture and better co-ordination between and with the regional economic communities and the African Union are also needed in order to silence the guns in Africa.