The book explores the pressing problem of rural violence in contemporary Nigeria by assessing the changing patterns of conflict and response across the country. Rural violence in Nigeria is becoming an increasingly pressing concern, with cattle rustling, banditry, kidnapping and farmer-herder conflicts putting immense pressure on the state’s institutional preparedness and the response capacity of the government, military and other security agencies. Drawing from the expertise of a wide range of African development, governance and security researchers and practitioners, this book assesses the severity of the current problem of rural violence, and provides a critical analysis of the various national and state responses to rural violence in Nigeria. Ultimately, the book aims to provide suggestions for restoring peace, security and development in Nigeria. This book will be of interest to scholars, researchers and administrators across Political Science, Security Studies, Rural Studies, and Regional Studies in Africa.

Exploring the contentious landscape of Nigeria’s escalating violence, this book describes the changing roles of traditional authorities in combatting contemporary security challenges. Set against a backdrop of widespread security threats – including insurgency, land disputes, communal violence, regional independence movements, and widespread criminal activities – perhaps more than ever before, Nigeria’s conventional security infrastructure seems ill-equipped for the job. This book offers a fresh, empirical analysis of the roles of traditional authorities – including kings, Ezes, Obas, and Emirs – who are often hailed as potent alternatives to the state in security governance. It complicates the assumption that these traditional leaders, by virtue of their customary legitimacy and popular roots, are singularly effective in preventing and managing violence. Instead, in exploring their creative adaptation to governance roles after a dramatic postcolonial downturn, this book argues that traditional leaders can augment, but not substitute, the state in addressing insecurity. This book’s in-depth analysis will be of interest to researchers and policy makers across African and security studies, political science, anthropology, and development. David Ehrhardt is an Associate Professor of International Development at Leiden University, The Netherlands. His main research interests are African governance and educational innovation. David has published extensively on Nigeria and co-leads the Learning Mindset project that promotes autonomous learning in higher education. David Oladimeji Alao is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and Chief of Staff to the President/Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Ogun State, Nigeria. Professor Alao has authored several articles and 3 edited books. M. Sani Umar is a Professor in the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, University of Abuja, Nigeria. His research centres on religious vio- lence and peace building, with a focus on understanding the roots of religious conflict and the dynamics of religious pluralism.

This book investigates the range of conflicts over land and other natural resources in contemporary Zimbabwe, considering the different forms these conflicts take, and the ensuing outcomes. Zimbabwe is a country rich in natural resources, including land, wildlife, minerals, and water resources. These resources are integral to the formal and informal livelihoods of most Zimbabweans, as well as supporting many key industries. Wildlife, land, and water resources are also embedded in indigenous knowledge systems, religious beliefs, and rituals in many rural communities, forming an important part of people’s identity and sense of belonging. However, this book demonstrates the ways in which rural communities are being denied access to these resources and being displaced by extractive companies and the government. Their response is often to turn to violence to try to reclaim their lands. Drawing on original empirical research from different conflicts across Zimbabwe, the book also considers the issue in the context of problems such as climate change, human-wildlife conflicts, and politico-economic crises. This book will be useful to policy makers, students, conservationists, and academics across the fields of sociology, human geography, development, political science, and environment studies.

This book examines the growing phenomenon of armed banditry in Nigeria and its implication for national security. Nigeria’s banditry crisis and deepening security challenges are fuelled by the existence of vast un(der)governed hinterland and trans-border spaces where various non-state armed groups operate unhindered and outside of the law, engaging in various forms of transnational crime. This book explores the activities of these groups to assess the nature and significance of banditry as a complex threat to security. It does so against the backdrop of reports of increased bandit attacks on farms, markets, mining sites, villages and rural communities, and the rising tide of violent crimes in Nigeria, especially the northern region. This book analyses the factors that are responsible for the emergence of banditry as a recent national and transnational security threat and outlines the contemporary dynamics of Nigeria’s banditry crisis and how it can be mitigated. This book will be of interest to researchers and students in the field of African Studies, International Relations, Security and Strategic Studies, Political Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, as well as policymakers and practitioners interested in complex security threats and their implications in Nigeria and beyond.

This book uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine the ongoing conflict in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, which has killed thousands and displaced a million people since 2017. The book investigates how the conflict developed, the regional and international responses and its wider implications. From a broad range of African perspectives, the book addresses issues related to the conflict including international humanitarian law, regional security and terrorism. Part I assesses the regional security concerns of the conflict, the success of cross-border counter-terrorism operations and their implications for the southern African region. Part II focuses on the conflict in relation to international humanitarian law. It discusses the Islamic State's presence in the region, the trajectory and issues pertaining to sexual and gender-based violence and the relationship between the conflict and the environment. Finally, Part III examines regional and continental responses to the conflict, from the military intervention by the Southern African Development Community and Rwanda, to the perceived inaction of the African Union. The first comprehensive analysis of the conflict in Cabo Delgado, this book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners of international humanitarian law, security, African politics, war and conflict studies, terrorism and human rights.

Contemporary Security Governance in Nigeria: Themes and Perspectives examines the theory, practice, and challenges of contemporary security governance in Nigeria and argues for the prioritization of security governance in state affairs. Al Chukwuma Okoli, Folahanmi Aina, and the contributors address the role of security in state steering, the role of the state in security, the conceptual and theoretical frames underpinning contemporary discourse on security governance, and the current position of security governance and national security architecture in Nigeria. The book begins with an examination of security governance theory, context, and dimensions; followed by presenting strategies of security governance such as intelligence oversight; and ends with analysis of state, foreign, and non-state actors' roles in security governance. It covers important issues such as state legitimacy, public emergencies, intelligence oversight, civilian-led community policing, and Operation Safe Corridor. This book provides an important contribution for scholars in governance and security, and all stakeholders in governmental and non-governmental organizations that promote national security.

This book examines the impact of epidemics in Africa, exploring some of the adaptation and crisis management strategies adopted to tackle COVID-19, Ebola, and HIV-AIDS. The authors reflect on lessons learned from solving complex problems and difficult decisions made by leaders on pandemic management to shape the security environment and, thus, the well-being of people living in Africa for years to come. Drawing on cases from across the continent, the book demonstrates that, significantly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, African countries and communities frequently displayed regional solidarity, creativity in decision-making, decisiveness in dealing with corruption and opportunism, and resilience and discipline in implementation. Adopting a human security framework, the authors share their lived experiences and explore the impact of epidemics on public policy decision-making, foreign policy implementation, global relations, collaboration in the community dimension, and, ultimately, the future of socio-economic development in Africa. This book will be a welcome addition for practitioners and researchers across the fields of security studies, health management, and African studies, making an essential contribution to the security discourse in a post-COVID world.

This book investigates the important role of local actors in Sierra Leone in helping to foster peace and provide for the needs of vulnerable populations following the end of the civil war. Despite severe economic, political, and in some cases security challenges, local civil society organizations in Sierra Leone have expanded rapidly over the last 20 years, incorporating their local knowledge and traditions into their work to cater to the needs of war- affected populations. However, the preference of international development donors for funneling resources and technical assistance through civil society groups at the expense of central government has also created some resentment and backlash. This book examines this intersection between civil society, donors, and government in Sierra Leone, considering both the relevance of civil society activities, and their limitations, and what this means ultimately for human security in the country. Highlighting the importance of African civil society actors as proactive agents of change, this book will be of interest to researchers and stakeholders across the fields of African peacebuilding, development, and conflict resolution.

This book analyses the main events and turning points in the building of pre- and post-independent South Sudan. It covers the historical perspectives of the country, its key political, mediation and negotiation processes, peace and security, socio-economic development, and gender, as well as conflict and reconstruction. Many African states are products of compromised peace settlements and power sharing agreements, following violent and protracted conflicts between colonial/occupying powers, armed groups and nation states. This is the same route that Africa’s youngest nation, South Sudan traversed before attaining independence in July 2011. This edited volume is an innovative collection that serves as a complete reading on South Sudan, from the pre-independent to post-independent realities of the political, military and inter-ethnic conflicts and the negotiations to resolve them. It is a step-by-step account of the major events that mark the history as well as the contemporary occurrences in South Sudan. The book offers guidance on how to sustainably end armed conflict in Africa by tackling four broad themes that include the historical analysis of the conflict, political issues, peace and security, and gender, justice and contemporary dynamics. The book presents a gendered approach to arguments, while also reflecting gender equity in terms of the book authorship. Academics, researchers and specialists in the field of conflict management and resolution as well as security studies will find this book useful.

Most of the academic literature on violence in Nigeria is qualitative. It rarely relies on quantitative data because police crime statistics are not reliable, or not available, or not even published. Moreover, the training of Nigerian social scientists often focuses on qualitative, cultural, and political issues. There is thus a need to bridge the qualitative and quantitative approaches of conflict studies. This book represents an innovation and fills a gap in this regard. It is the first to introduce a discussion on such issues in a coherent manner, relying on a database that fills the lacunae in data from the security forces. The authors underline the necessity of a trend analysis to decipher the patterns and the complexity of violence in very different fields: from oil production to cattle breeding, radical Islam to motor accidents, land conflicts to witchcraft, and so on. In addition, they argue for empirical investigation and a complementary approach using both qualitative and quantitative data. The book is therefore organized into two parts, with a focus first on statistical studies, then on fieldwork.