Ad Hoc Non Institutional Conflict Management: A Case Study Of Burundi And Zaire

Abstract

The study sets out to analyse and investigate the contributions of ad hoc noninstitutional approaches to the management of internal conflicts. In process, the study examines the structures and problems of the institutional organisations in Africa which have the capacity to manage internal conflicts. The Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are examined in order to critically analyse their strengths and weaknesses in managing internal conflict. The study analyses two case studies: the Nairobi peace process on the Zaire internal conflict (199611997) and the Arusha peace process on the Burundi internal conflict from July 1996 to January 1999. The study reaches a number of findings. First, the institutional organisations are reactive to conflicts because they lack an early warning capacity. Also, financial problems in institutional organisations highly incapacitate their ability to manage internal conflicts. Secondly, ad hoc non-institutional approaches to internal conflict management complement the institutional approaches. Therefore, ad hoc non-institutional approaches form part of the conflict management process as they provide a platform from which sub-regional and regional states may intervene in internal affairs of other states. The study concludes that the internationalisation of internal conflicts must be considered in order to understand the application of ad hoc non-institutional conflict management approaches. The study finally recommends a conceptualisation and corporation of ad hoc non-institutional conflict management as part of conflict management endeavour, especially after the end of the Cold War.