Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the early 1960s, when the majority of African countries gained
independence from colonial powers, the continent has been in turmoil. Conflicts
have been extensive, and detrimental to economic, political and above all, social
development. Today, Africa is under more pressure than ever to find solutions for
these conflicts.
The situation is complicated by the complex and difficult challenges brought on
by a rapidly globalising world. Also conflicts have often been characterised by
internal, as well as regional proportions. Coupled with this, the threats facing
Southern 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 to
ensure a viable and lasting solution. This thesis attempts to evaluate the
contribution of regional co-operation to conflict resolution in Southern Africa. Two
concepts imperative to this evaluation are regionalism and security. Both are
examined and juxtaposed. The author determines that the concepts have
changed dramatically since the end of the Cold War period, and that new
regionalism and new security approaches need to be considered in addressing
conflicts, since traditional interpretations have become obsolete, particularly in
the developing world.
Furthermore, an examination of the international, regional and sub-regional
organisations, concerned with conflict management on the continent, is carried
out. 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 case
study, and concludes that the persisting conflict has ensued precisely because
regional co-operation was inadequate. The states and leaders involved did not
take into account the regional dimensions of the conflict, and also ignored threats
to human security. Regional co-operation was at a minimal, and involvement has
until now been predominantly unilateral and statist, marked by personal interests,
and not those of the population. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert die vroeë sestigerjare, toe die meerderheid Afrikalande onafhankliheid
van koloniale magte verkry het, was die kontinent in onrus gehul. Dit was
omvattende konflik - konflik wat nadelig was vir ekonomiese, politieke en veral
sosiale ontwikkeling. Vandag, meer as ooit tevore, is Afrika onder druk om
oplossings te vind vir hierdie konflikte.
Die situasie word gekompliseer deur die uitdagings gestel deur 'n vinnig
globaliserende wêreld. Die konflik word dikwels deur interne sowel as
streeksafmetings gekenmerk. Hiermee saam is die bedreigings wat op Suidelike
Afrika 'n invloed het van so 'n aard dat dit nasionale grense ignoreer en die
geneigdheid het om totale streke, in teenstelling met individuele state, te
beïnvloed. Hierdie bedreigings stel dus nie state in gevaar nie, maar eerder hul
mense.
Om 'n lewensvatbare en blywende effek te hê, benodig konflikoplossing dus ook
'n streeksbenadering aan te neem. Hierdie tesis poog om die bydrae van
streekssamewerking, ten einde konflikoplossing in Suidelike Afrika te
bewerkstellig, te evalueer. Beide word ondersoek en in verband gebring. Die
skrywer bevind dat die konsepte drasties verander het sedert die einde van die
Koue Oorlog tydperk, en dat nuwe regionalisme en nuwe sekuriteit benaderings
oorweeg moet word, aangesien tradisionele interpretasies verouderd, veral in die
ontwikkelende wêreld, is.
Verder word internasionale, regionale en sub-regionale organisasies wat
gemoeid is met konflikhantering op die kontinent, ook ondersoek. Die Verenigde
Nasies en die Suidelike Afrika Ontwikkelings Gemeenskap (SADe), tesame met
hul pogings in Suidelike Africa, word geanaliseer. Die skrywer maak gebruik van die konflik in die Demokratiese Republiek van die
Kongo as gevallestudie, en kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat konflik ontstaan het
juis omdat regionale samewerking nooit werklik gerealiseer het nie. Die betrokke
state en leiers het nie die streeksdimensies van die konflik in ag geneem nie, en
ook menslike sekuriteit bedreigings ignoreer. Regionale samewerking was
beperk tot In minimum, en betrokkenheid was tot nou toe oorwegend eensydig
en staats georienteerd, en gekenmerk deur persoonlike belange, en nie dié van
die bevolking nie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53164 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Strzeminska, Anna Dominika Boldireff |
| Contributors | Breytenbach, W. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 96 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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