Selected Themes in African Political Studies ― Political Conflict and Stability

Against the background of a long and continuing record of political instability in Africa, this edited collection presents a multi-disciplinary approach to selected issues in African political studies. The contributions explore a range of political and conflict situations, discuss efforts to develop indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms and consider some of the key political and economic issues facing the continent. The specific country studies illuminate the diversity of the African continent and indicate the ways in which the political and socio-economic contexts of African states bear directly upon the ability of states to solve political and economic challenges. The volume seeks to present and promote novel analytical frameworks, conceptual approaches and empirical accounts of relevance to scholars working on Africa and to practitioners and policy makers in politics, governance and peace initiatives in Africa.

Lucky Asuelime is affiliated to the School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. He has taught International Relations for five years. At the time of writing he was completing his PhD in International Relations at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He is also the Director for the Centre for Conflict Resolution and Development in Africa (CREDA).

Suzanne Francis is a Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She carries out extensive empirical research, writes and publishes in the area of political elites, value systems and political institutions in Africa.