The Internationalization of Conflict in Africa Through New Media: Case Study Post Election Violence in Kenya 2007-2008

Abstract

Kenya, and by extension African countries, continue to struggle to achieve a stable and more lasting democracy. Unlike many advanced democratic states where there are strong and independent institutions, African political institutions are mostly weak and often at the mercy of political leaders who manipulate them to their advantage. The media cannot be shielded from the cases that are to blame for the spread of countries’ rampant political instabilities. This study aims to highlight the internationalization of conflict in Africa through new media during Kenya’s post-election violence of 2007/08. This study uses secondary data for its findings; and the data used in the research is based on the analysis of statistics collected by governments and their various agencies, bureaus, and departments - which reveals that citizen journalists using new media technologies enabled those witnessing or taking part in the conflict to upload content during the period of the conflict and make reports on live occurrences. The study finds that social networking sites were maximally used in the post-election conflict that occurred. It concludes that new media tools and technologies supplement rather than replace traditional media as it offers crucial assessment and unmediated perspectives. The study recommends that in the case of conflict, new media should develop a series of public service announcements reminding fighting communities about their traditional collaboration and advising restraint, informing security officers of the affected areas promptly and educating the fighting communities on the importance of peace in the society. The study also recommends that media reporters or journalists be trained on conflict reporting. The study took a quantitative approach to the data analysis, as well as utilized a descriptive survey design to compliment the case study research design. Published literature from various reference books, periodicals, scholarly journals, newspaper articles, literature review articles, magazines, technical reports, the internet and any other reliable and credible sources such as Jstor and University of Nairobi Library, form the core basis of this study, and its findings.