EYO, MICHAEL J.
Department of Political Science/Public Administration
Obong University
Obong Ntak, Nigeria.
Abstract
Conflict is an inevitable and yet desirable aspect of human life in which incompatible forces are exerted in opposite directions. The manner in which a conflict is managed determines the outcome, which may be peaceful or violent. In the West – African Sub Region, conflict results from bad governance, injustice, politics of exclusion, marginalization, an inequitable distribution of resources. ECOWAS had earlier adopted several non violent means for managing conflicts such as negotiation, arbitration, mediation, consensus building, diplomacy, and peace keeping, but most conflicts appear to have defied peaceful means. The intervention by ECOWAS in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Cote d’Ivoire, and of recent, the Gambia, has demonstrated that most conflicts in West Africa can only be settled by military interventions. This study proposes that the intervention of ECOWAS in crisis in West African Region has not only rendered obsolete the principle of non interference in the internal affairs but also facilitated effective conflict management in member states of the organization. This work adopts the structural conflict theory and Relational theory which attempt to provide explanation for violent conflict between groups. Findings reveal that political and economic exclusion, injustice, poverty, inequality, domination of one group by another, exploitation and marginalization, mutual suspicion/distrust and language barriers are the main causes of conflicts in West Africa. The study recommends greater integration, politics of inclusion, equitable distribution of resources, evolution of a common language and
respect for rules as the panacea for mitigating conflicts in West Africa.
Keyword: ECOWAS. Conflict Resolution.
African Journal of International Politics and Diplomacy Vol.7 No. 1&2 © 2020 by The Development Universal Consortia. All Rights Reserved