Conflict Resolutions In Post-Conflict West African Countries (Liberia And Sierra Leone)

Conflicts are common to all societies, non-violent conflicts are a distinguishing feature of a healthy democracy, and a violent conflict is a threat to the basic political and security of a functioning democracy (Jarstad2008).However, the very process of peace and democratization can result in conflict. The simple act of signing a peace agreement does not ensure lasting peace. The distrust and grievances generated by war, combined with extreme poverty, lack of infrastructure and corruption means that warring factions remain suspicious of each other and skeptical of their respective intents. Likewise, peace building can also destroy democratization. Many peace treaties include former rebels have been signed as a way to hasten and end a conflict. The inclusion of the warring factions can compromise democratic legitimacy.As the title indicates, the aim of this thesis is to make a comparative analysis of conflict resolution initiatives that were employed in the Sierra Leone and Liberia conflicts. This thesis aims to answer the questions below by establishing a theoretical groundwork of Kumar Rupesinghe’s transformation model that supports the idea that the goals of peace building and democratization of the two countries. The research questions are:· What were the conflict resolutions initiatives that were used in resolving the Liberia and Sierra Leonean conflicts?· Why did the Lome (Togo) Peace Accord succeed in the case of Sierra Leone whilst the Abuja Peace Accord failed in bringing peace to Liberia?The above questions and the aim of this paper are answered using a qualitative research method. Most especially to examine the content of the1999Lome (Togo) Peace Agreement that eventually ended the Sierra Leonean civil war and as well as the1995Abuja Accord that was unsuccessful to the Liberia conflict. The study is mainly based on secondary sources such as textbooks, official documents from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations (UN)’s, articles, magazines and newspapers as well as internet resources. Being a comparative analysis, the Conflict Transformation Model of Kumar Rupesinghe is used. This model has specifically helped in explaining the reasons why peace returned to Sierra Leone but has taken a long time in the case of Liberia. This work analyses the reasons ECOWAS continues to employ ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) as a key element of the conflict resolution process and the possibility of ECOMOG becoming a standing force, the policy implications and it further examines ways of making the force more effective and relevant to the sub-region.The roles of external actors like the United States of America (U.S.A.), United Kingdom (U.K.) are also brought in the picture in the process to achieving a lasting peace in the two countries. Often time there is a gap or a kind of dilemma of peace and to maintain the democracy, mostly in the essence to make peace to resolve a said conflict, such as in the case of the two neighboring countries under study.As part of my findings also, some of the challenges facing the peace-making organizations in their efforts to restore peace in these two post-conflict West African countries were pointed out and some suggestions are put in place to see how far such challenges could be solved for any future and similar situation.The conclusion drawn from the study is that a multi-track approach is required in dealing with conflicts in West Africa so that it would touch on the context of the conflict, the conflict structure, the intra-party as well as the inter-party divisions and the broader system of society and governance within the conflict area.Some of the key conclusions of the research are that ECOMOG intervention operations will continue. Therefore, the ECOWAS Secretariat and ECOMOG Force need to take determined action toward making the force more effective and relevant for the sub-region.