The end of Cold War in 1991 was expected to usher in an era of global peace. However, the era following the collapse of Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union was characterized by a new pattern of conflicts. For instance, in the decade following the end of Cold War, it is estimated that more than 115 internal conflicts took place in diverse parts of the world (Gilbert 151). There has been emerging and unprecedented form of intra-state conflicts across continents since then. This paper seeks to critically analyze the trends of intra-state conflicts following the end of Cold War. It explores the reasons for the escalation of the said conflict. Relying on data compiled by secondary sources, this paper shall attach more emphasis on intra-state conflicts in Africa.
Intra-state conflicts took root in Africa in 1990s with several countries affected directly and some, indirectly. During the past four decades, Africa has taken the center-stage of world’s high-intensity conflicts. The conflicts have resulted in approximately six million fatalities with estimated 150 million people affected and impacted on by the armed internal conflicts in the continent (Porto 43).
Other researchers take the view that intra-state conflict is brought about by the withdrawal of military and financial support to African tyrants by foreign governments following the end of Cold War. Besides, there is a near consensus to the effect that post-Cold War African intra-state conflicts were a function of colonial legacies. However, this view is negated by the fact that countries such Djibouti and Tanzania have experienced decades of relative peace since their independence. Moreover, countries that were not colonized such as Ethiopia have had their share of internal armed conflicts as well. Nevertheless, it obtains from the fact that colonialism had impacts that were varying in degree and intensity in different states. Besides, origin and perpetuation of intra-state conflicts have been premised on abject poverty, sheer incompetence on the part of governments, social and political marginalization, ethnic exclusion, electoral malpractices, democratization politics, population explosion, unemployment and dependence and competition over natural resources (Konteh 273).
Politics of democratization played a significant role in the escalation of intra-state conflicts. Post-Cold War era was characterized by the accentuation of democracy across Africa. Most African states were transitioning from autocratic to democratic systems of governance in the early 1990s. Accordingly, the governance structure reflected both democratic and autocratic ideologies in a single political system, a condition which has been termed as “anocracy”. Those who were clamoring for democracy would face stiff opposition from tyrants who wishes to cling unto power for the rest of their lives. The emerging democracies were soon going to cave in to “pressure of ethnic rivalries, demagogue politics and hardships of simultaneous economic and political transitions.” Therefore, it is not implausible to conclude that there exists a positive causative relationship between the spread of democratic wave in Africa in the 1990s and the internal armed conflicts that ensued then (Enuka 9).
Moreover, the end of Cold War ushered in new economic ideologies. Though remotely connected, the emergence of internal armed conflicts and the escalation thereof is attributable to the introduction of market liberalization ideologies that were enshrined in the structural adjustment programs alongside other economic reforms spearheaded by World Bank and IMF. The economies of Africa were not ready to accommodate the said economic policies. Their imposition, therefore, exacerbated the already dire economic situation of most African populace. This resulted in the abject impoverishment of the populace and desperation that later on became one of the major causes of conflicts among communities in most African countries (Enuka 9).
More so, the end of Cold War paved the way for the emergence of globalization. Even though it is a good thing, globalization came with its own curses in disguise. It aggravated economic underdevelopment of the developing countries by shifting the resources to the bourgeoisie economies from the developing countries. African kleptomaniacs adopted the same model. The rest of the members of the society who were not fortunate enough to join the kleptomaniacs were able to establish the nexus between their impoverishment and the political system of leadership (Enuka 9). As such they were forced to take up arms against the said leadership. The Kleptomaniacs backed by their ethnic communities would use reprisals to counter the belligerence against it hence escalating the conflicts.
Besides, the end of Cold War changed the trend of state to state flow of weaponry. During the era of Cold War, for instance, there was a massive movement of weaponry across states, and it consisted mainly of heavy artillery such as tanks, transport equipment, and jet fighters. It is estimated that the global flow was worth $4 billion at the peak of the Cold War. However, seven years after the end of the said war, the state to state flow of weapons had drastically reduced to $270 million in 1995. Moreover, it was characterized by the prevalence of commercial dealings and illegal weapon trafficking. More so, it was dominated by light weapons such as AK 47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The existing trend meant that the belligerent members of African societies could access weapons with ease. Therefore, the role played by the ease of access to weapons played a crucial role in the escalation of intra-state armed conflicts in Africa and beyond (Cabinet Sub-Committee on Conflict Prevention in Africa 9).
Moreover, one of the underlying factors for the escalation of intra-state conflicts in Africa is nature of the conflict itself. Apart from the conventional war fought between Ethiopian and Eritrea, the rest of intra-state conflicts in Africa have been factional warfare. Owing to their nature, factional ware is less costly regarding finances, military resources, and technology. Such conflicts are associated with the use of small and light arms. More so, they are reputed for rapid dynamism in the sense that the underlying cause of the conflict can easily change from the original causes to other causes such as exploitation of minerals, commercial and natural resources. Therefore, they can be easily sustained for a considerable period without the need for external funding and other forms of support (Cabinet Sub-Committee on Conflict Prevention in Africa 9).
Another underlying cause of intra-state conflicts in Africa is the collapse and failure of state and its institutions. Such incidences are not drastic, but they are attributable to corruption and poor governance structure over time to the point whereby the state can no longer be able to provide essential services to its populace such as security. In such instances, the state loses its legitimacy paving war for belligerence who if successful, takes over the leadership of the country. However, their regimes rarely last for long as they are ousted by other factions and the cycle continues. A case in point is Sierra Leone and Liberia (Cabinet Sub-Committee on Conflict Prevention in Africa 13). It is noteworthy that the end of Cold War saw the withdrawal of support to African dictators by both the US and the Soviet Union. It led to completion over, and inequality in allocation of little resources. Eventually, they fueled the escalation of intra-state conflicts (International Peace Academy 5-7).
The Darfur conflict, for instance, is attributable to completion over fertile land and water. It was escalated by desertification of Northern Sudan and persistent famines that have plagued the region of Darfur. However, the underlying causes of the conflict took ethnic and racial dimensions when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) alongside Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) mobilized insurgency against Sudanese government on the grounds of racial marginalization. They accused the government of discriminating against favoritism on Arabs to the detriment of Black Africans. In attempts to counter the insurgency, the Sudanese government mobilized Arab militia popularly referred to as Janjaweed. As a result, Janjaweed inspired by racial ideologies took up arms against the non-Arab Sudanese communities (Gilbert 155).
Strange enough, the intra-state conflict is indirectly attributable to the end of Cold War. The end of the said war triggered withdrawal of US support for Siad Barre’s administration. As a result, it collapsed on January 26, 1991. The country was then plunged into armed internal conflicts by factions that were responsible for ousting Barre’s regime. The clan war lords and their respective clans joined in resulting in the failure of the state (Gilbert 156).
Similarly, in Liberia, the intra-state conflict was instigated by the withdrawal of US support for Samuel Doe’s government following the end of Cold War. As such, an economic crisis in the country was triggered. The available resources were distributed unequally among the regions occupied by diverse ethnic communities to the detriment of certain communities and in favor of Doe’s ethnic community. Besides ethnic marginalization, kleptocracy and electoral malpractices fueled the escalation of the conflict in Liberia. Furthermore, the military reprisals used by Doe’s administration to counter the insurgency led by Charles Taylor inflicted more suffering even on civilians who had nothing to do with the insurgency. As a result, it undermined the credibility of the government giving legitimacy to the insurgency. Accordingly, the populations supporting the insurgency increased geometrically (Cabinet Sub-Committee on Conflict Prevention in Africa 13).
In some instances, intra-state conflicts have been said to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit! A case in point is the Lakwena’s insurgency against the Ugandan government. Following its defeat, Joseph Kony took over the leadership of the movement which he later renamed if in 1997 from Holy Spirit Mobile II to Lord Resistance Army (LRA). It s not clear whether Kony spearheaded the spiritual ideologies envisaged by his predecessor or the motivation for the insurgency metamorphosed (Gilbert 156).
The ethnic cleansing in Rwanda that culminated in the 1994 genocide can be explained by ethnic exclusion and marginalization. More so, the term war of passion befits the genocide in question. Although it was characterized by tension and ethnic animosity instilled in the Hutu and Tutsi tribes of Rwanda during the colonial era, the conflict was fueled by an attempt by Tutsi-dominated Rwanda Patriotic Front to oust the administration of President Juvenal Habyarimana which was characterized by the predominance of Hutus. Despite lasting for only 100 days, approximately 800 000 lives were lost to the genocide (Gilbert 156).
The intra-state conflict in Sierra Leone began in 1991 and lasted through to 2002. It resulted in approximately 60 000 deaths and displacement of more than two-thirds of the population. The causative factors for the conflict, and its accentuation has been held to be abject poverty coupled with the state’s inability to enable the populace to meet their basic needs. Moreover, personalized patronage system of governance that characterized the administration in power instigated the conflict. Belligerence was inspired by the rebel’s quest for diamonds as well (Gilbert 159).
There seems to be a general agreement among researchers to the effect that the intra-state conflicts in Sierra Leone and Liberia were significantly contributed by competition over natural resources. This is evidenced by the fact that the said battles were fought around areas that were rich in diamond. As such, the conflicts were inspired by the need to take control of diamond-rich territories and the external commercial networks thereof. Specifically, the government of Sierra Leone under Sankoh’s administration focused their reprisal efforts on diamond-rich areas. So was the case in Angola (Gilbert 158).
In conclusion, there is a direct causative correlation between the end of Cold War and escalation of intra-state conflicts globally. A case study of various internal conflicts in Africa confirms the aforementioned hypothesis as discussed and illustrated above. The new world order established after the termination of the Cold War and characterized by politics of democratization, market liberalization, withdrawal of support given to African dictators by foreign governments, ease of dealings in light weapons formed underlying bases upon which intra-state conflicts were fought and escalated.
Works Cited
Cabinet Sub-Committee on Conflict Prevention in Africa. The Causes of Conflict in Africa. Consultative Document. London: Department of International Development, 2001.
Enuka, Chuka. "Post-Cold War Conflicts: Imperative for Armed Humanitarian Intervention." Global Journal of Human Social Science Interdisciplinary 12.9 (2012): 1-22.
Gilbert, Lysias Dodd. "A Retrospective Examination of Post-Cold War Conflicts in Africa: Ended, Abated and Prolonged Conflicts." International Journal of Humanities and Social Science 4.9 (2014): 151-163.
International Peace Academy. Exploring Subregional Conflict: Opportunities for Conflict Prevention. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004.
Konteh, R. "Responding to Conflicts: The role of Civil Society." Best, S. Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies in West Africa. Ibadan: Spectrum Books Limited, 2006. 272-294.
Porto, P G. "The mainstreaming of conflict analysis in Africa: Contributions from theory." Francis, D J. Peace and Conflict in Africa. London: Zed Books, 2008. 43-47.
