The Palgrave Handbook of Peacebuilding in Africa

This handbook offers a critical assessment of the African agenda for conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding; the challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s regional organisations in their efforts towards building sustainable peace on the continent; and the role of external actors, including the United Nations, Britain, France, and South Asian troop-contributing countries. In so doing, it revisits the late Ali Mazrui’s concept of Pax Africana, calling on Africans to take responsibility for peace and security on their own continent. The creation of the African Union, in 2002, was an important step towards realising this ambition, and has led to the development of a new continental architecture for more robust conflict management. But, as the volume’s authors show, the quest for Pax Africana faces challenges. Combining thematic analyses and case studies, this book will be of interest to both scholars and policymakers working on peace, security, and governance issues in Africa. 

Tony Karbo is Co-Founder and Executive Director of N’Zarama Centre for Peacebuilding (NCP) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Kudrat Virk is Acting Executive Director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution in Cape Town.

“Bringing together among the best contemporary scholars working on conflict in Africa, this collection demonstrates the importance of the continent’s still developing institutional infrastructure of peacebuilding. Scholars and practitioners seeking a deeper understanding of conflict analysis and resolution in Africa will find it invaluable.” (Terrence Lyons, School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, USA)

“This volume brings together senior scholars and practitioners in the field, along with talented emerging scholars, to reflect upon the successes and limitations of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding in Africa. Organised around the central concept of Pax Africana, the book offers a comprehensive, insightful, highly astute, and sometimes sobering analysis of the progress made towards peace on the African continent.”(Devon E. A. Curtis, Senior Lecturer, Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge, UK)

“With contributions mainly from academics and practitioners who have grappled with the intellectual appeal and enormous challenges for Africa of turning the late Ali Mazrui's vision of Pax Africana into reality, this book is a good rendition of some of the rich and unique lessons from these outstanding African scholars.” (Musifiky Mwanasali, former Special Adviser for Political and Diplomatic Affairs, Office of the Chairperson, AU Commission)