Why Conflict in South Sudan and Somalia is Beyond Prevention and Management

Abstract

In the light of the growing importance of innovating new approaches and mechanisms in addressing peace and conflict scenarios in Africa, this article examines the need for regional organisations to conceive policies, strategies and mechanisms that are anchored  on member state’s underlying interests. The article argues that the context of transnationalism, where territorial boundaries are a source of conflict and contestation, are postcolonial realities and challenges that orchestrate divisive nationalism in the Horn of Africa. The proliferation of actors and the struggle to secure power-sharing and security arrangements among the military and political elites are key drivers of conflict in the region. The paper argues that a strategy for equitable distribution of power and resources across the society should be considered as part of the alternative-social innovative methods for tackling the intractable
conflicts in the Horn of Africa.