The role of regional co-operation in the resolution of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Since the early 1960s, when the majority of African countries gainedindependence from colonial powers, the continent has been in turmoil. Conflictshave been extensive, and detrimental to economic, political and above all, socialdevelopment. Today, Africa is under more pressure than ever to find solutions forthese conflicts.The situation is complicated by the complex and difficult challenges brought onby a rapidly globalising world. Also conflicts have often been characterised byinternal, as well as regional proportions. Coupled with this, the threats facingSouthern Africa are of such a nature that they transcend national boundaries,and have a tendency to effect entire regions as opposed to individual states.Thus threats no longer endanger states, but rather their people.fn view of this, conflict resolution requires a regional approach as well, in order toensure a viable and lasting solution. This thesis attempts to evaluate thecontribution of regional co-operation to conflict resolution in Southern Africa. Twoconcepts imperative to this evaluation are regionalism and security. Both areexamined and juxtaposed. The author determines that the concepts havechanged dramatically since the end of the Cold War period, and that newregionalism and new security approaches need to be considered in addressingconflicts, since traditional interpretations have become obsolete, particularly inthe developing world.Furthermore, an examination of the international, regional and sub-regionalorganisations, concerned with conflict management on the continent, is carriedout. The United Nations and the Southern African Development Community,together with their efforts in Southern Africa analysed.The author takes the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a casestudy, and concludes that the persisting conflict has ensued precisely becauseregional co-operation was inadequate. The states and leaders involved did nottake into account the regional dimensions of the conflict, and also ignored threatsto human security. Regional co-operation was at a minimal, and involvement hasuntil now been predominantly unilateral and statist, marked by personal interests,and not those of the population.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University