Tony Karbo and Kudrat Virk (eds.): The Palgrave Handbook of Peacebuilding in Africa.

Abstract

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.