1. Eastern Africa: Security and the Legacy of Fragility
- Author:
- Gilbert M. Khadiagala
- Publication Date:
- 10-2008
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Peace Institute
- Abstract:
- “Eastern Africa” denotes the geographical area comprising the seven member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD): Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. Tanzania is also included because it has had long historical and political interactions with Kenya and Uganda within the rubric of the East African Cooperation (EAC). The main challenges to human security in this region have originated from political and state fragility, resource scarcities, and environmental degradation. All these factors have contributed to a regional context that is characterized by intrastate conflicts, interstate wars, and political extremism. Raging civil wars and interstate conflicts have, in turn, produced forms of statelessness and marginality that have deepened societal insecurities and strained human livelihoods. Consequently, in addition to profound political instability and economic destitution, human security is arrayed against escalating communal violence, small arms proliferation, and massive movements of people within and beyond the region.
- Topic:
- Development, Environment, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- Uganda, Kenya, Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, and East Africa