Post Conflict Peace Building: Examination of Sustainable Peace Initiatives in East Africa

Abstract

This study investigated post conflict peace building initiatives in East Africa. It explored to find out whether peace building initiatives in East Africa have been successful or not and whether there is sustainable peace. Since post conflict societies are plagued with various issues such as immediate humanitarian assistance, reconstruction and rehabilitation, the study navigated through these issues with a bid to appreciating them and exert peace building approaches to negate them. The objectives of the study were to examine the sustainable peace initiatives amongst post conflict societies in East Africa. The study specifically undertook to analyze the strategies used in bringing about sustainable peace in the East African Community. It finally zeroed down to explore reconstruction and recovery strategies in post conflict peace building in a bid to clearly bring out which one is commendable within the East African Community. The case study was post election violence of 2007 /08 in Kenya. The research hypothesizes that post conflict peace building initiatives in East Africa are sustainable and effective even though they are reconstruction oriented rather than recovery oriented. The study also assumed that post conflict peace building initiatives in East Africa are not sustainable and are ineffective because they are reconstruction oriented rather than recovery oriented. Finally the study hypothesizes that post conflict peace building initiatives in East Africa are neither affected by reconstruction nor recovery strategies. In pursuit of these objectives and hypothesis, the study adopted a methodology with three component tools of analysis. The first was primary and secondary data analysis. This involved a critical review of both published and unpublished materials on post conflict peace building initiatives in East Africa. The instruments employed in this case were within case analysis and cross case analysis. The second component involved use of questionnaires and interviews with various members from the East African countries and other key informants. The third methodological component was focused group discussions with select participants on the basis of their knowledge and expertise. The study employed the qualitative aspects of research procedures and used narratives in explaining its findings. The study found out that peace building initiatives in East Africa are not sustainable and are ineffective because they are reconstruction oriented rather than recovery oriented. The study, therefore rejected the assumption that post conflict peace building initiatives in East Africa are sustainable even though they are reconstruction oriented rather than recovery oriented. It further rejected the assumption that post conflict peace building initiatives in East Africa are neither affected by reconstruction nor recovery strategies. In concluding, the study fully examined the peace initiatives in East Africa and revealed that peace initiatives are not sustainable. The East African Community is living on viable peace rather than sustainable peace. The member states in the EAC still adhere to state sovereignty and efforts to foster the East African Federation are more of blueprint rather than practical.