A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in International Relations, 2017 / The international community's dynamics have undergone significant changes since 1990s. Famine, economic, security, and ethnic and religious animosities have greatly contributed to the emergence of conflicts globally. Preventive approaches, tools and structures in dealing with emerging conflicts rapidly became global trend. Early warning systems (EWS) were such preventive tools that bodies such as the African Union (AU) and the three regional economic communities (RECs) in Southern and West Africa and the Horn of Africa adopted to prevent conflicts on the African continent. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / XL2018