Chapter III SUBICULAR CURRENTS
3.12 Fast transient K + current, I A
In the same token, DFID (2003:8-9) identifies four distinct types of conflict in Africa. They are;
Conventional warfare- wars of attrition Factional warfare
Genocide and ethnic based conflict The “new warfare”- regional conflict We now explain them:
1) Conventional Warfare- Wars of Attrition: The conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea was the only conventionally fought war in Africa during the last one and a half decades. It was fought with regular troops along a defined series of fronts.
Targets and objectives were primarily military and strategic.
2) Factional Warfare: Factional wars are fluid by nature. There is rarely a defined front line and fighting is frequently opportunistic rather than strategic. Warfare is low tech and small arms are the main weapon. Such wars are not costly and can easily be sustained without external support. Countries currently affected by factional warfare are Somalia, Liberia (Internally), Uganda (internally), Namibia and Cote D’voire.
3) Genocide and Ethnic Based Conflict: Terrible levels of ethnic violence and genocide, as earlier witnessed in Rwanda and Burundi between the ethnic Tutsi and Hutu, re-emerged in the last decade of the 20th century Africa. At this time, failed states such as Liberia, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Zaire became centres of regional insecurity and had degenerated into crosscutting politico-ethnic conflicts resulting in genocidal wars., with particular reference to Liberia, Doe’s ethnic Krahn and Mandingo its ally, and Quitwormkpa’s Gio and Mano groups engaged in a genocidal conflict, groups started proliferating. This type of conflict spread like wildfire and leaves a huge death toll, massive displacement, fear and confusion. Ethnic and genocidal fighting tends to involve the use extremely low technology, the use of knives, machetes, and occasionally small arms. A distinguishing characteristic is the speed with which genocidal attacks take place and the high degree of central organization and planning involved.
4) The “New Warfare”- Regional Conflict: All three elements of warfare above have coalesced into what can be described as Africa’s “new warfare”-regional conflict. African countries increasingly intervened militarily in neighbouring states and justify their actions on thee grounds of necessary self- protection. Conflicts become increasingly regional in nature as collapsed states threaten the security of their neighbours. The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) involves the armed forces of eight countries, and the DRC has sought to take the war back into Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda where it, allegedly, came from. The war in Liberia also developed a similar regional dimension. It begat wars in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote D’Ivoire respectively.
5) Interpersonal and psychological dimensions of conflict. The relationship between interpersonal and more general psychological approaches to conflict is that both in different ways reflect conflict researchers’ general assumption that conflict has common patterns and processes at different levels, e.g. from the local community to the international system level.
Traditionally, interpersonal and psychological dimensions of conflict have been discussed in terms of cognitive psychology, or concerns with images, perceptions, stereotyping and group processes. The relationship between cognitive psychology and conflict has been particularly evident in the literature on decision-making and in analyses of conflict as a non- rational process.
4.0 CONCLUSION
The assumption that conflict might stem principally from more
"subjective" psychological dynamics continues to be part of a broader debate between subjectivists and objectivists. The latter views conflict as
"real" and independent of perception, though the former may also see conflict as real but not "true".
However, psychological and inter-personal studies are increasingly impacting upon conflict analyses in other ways. Elements that appear to be inherent parts of conflict such as the sense of victimization are adding potential understanding to the field, as is the growing attention given to the issue of entrapment. Among other things, entrapment helps to explain ways in which conflicts are maintained over long periods of time. Perhaps surprisingly, given the seeming centrality of its importance, the psychological dynamics of conflict resolution have only recently become a core issue in the armoury of conflict analysis. Under this overall rubric, various scholars have introduced such concepts as framing as a means to understand "what a conflict is really about", and
"non-rationality" as an issue to address in promoting peace.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit we have discussed two major taxonomies of conflicts, their categories and basis for categorisation. We have also examined the taxonomies in relation to the variety of conflicts in Africa.
6.0 TUTOR MARKED ASSIGNMENTS (TMAS)
i) What is the basis of Schmid’s typology of conflicts in the world?
ii) Outline Schmid’s typology of conflicts
iii) There a variety of wars and conflict in Africa today. Discuss.
iv) What do you understand by the New Warfare in Africa?
v) Explore the psychological approach to conflict types.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS
Department for International Development (DFID) (2001). The Causes of Conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa: Framework Document.
London: DFID.
Schmid, A.P. (2000). Thesaurus and Glossary of Early Warning and Conflict Prevention Terms. London: Forum on Early Warning and Early Response.
Deutsch, M., (1991)"Subjective Features of Conflict Resolution:
Psychological, Social and Cultural Features", in Vayrynen [ed], New Directions in Conflict Theory: Conflict Resolution and Transformation, Sage, London.
Eyerman, R. and A. Jamison, (1991) Social Movements: A Cognitive Approach, Polity Press, Cambridge.
Fisher, R.J., (1989) The Social Psychology of Intergroup and
International Conflict Resolution, Soringer Verlag, New York.
Hindle, R., and J. Groebel [eds], (1991) Cooperation and Prosocial Behaviour, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Kelman, H., (1965) International Behavior, Holt, Rineheart, Winston, New York.
Montagu, A., (1973) Man and Aggression, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Rieber, R., (1991) The Psychology of War and Peace: The Image of the Enemy, Plenum, London.
Ross, M., (1993) The Culture of Conflict: Interpretations and Interests in Comparative Perspective, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Singer, L., (1994) Settling Disputes: Conflict Resolution in Business, Families and the Legal System, Westview Press, Oxford.
Vertzberger, Y., (1990) The World in their Minds: Information
Processing and Perception in Foreign Policy Decisions, University of California Press, Stanford. Volkan, V., (1988).The Need to Have Enemies and Allies: From Clinical Practice to International Relationships, Aronson, NJ.