| dc.description.abstract | The issue of peace and security has become central
to the concepts of conflict prevention and
crisis management. In East Africa, particularly, th
is issue broadly covers the complexity of
contemporary conflicts in this part of Africa.
It is important to note that security cannot be ach
ieved without addressing the causes of
instability and that sustainable development can on
ly occur within a secure and peaceful
environment. Furthermore, internal security cannot
thrive in an atmosphere of regional
instability. The importance of African union workin
g together with regional and sub regional
organizations in promoting peace are widely acknowl
edged and in recent years, closer
cooperation and coordination have been fostered.
However, the mechanisms employed have often proved
unable to reconcile the multifaceted
dimensions of peace and security including: Impove
rishment and unemployment, environmental
degradation and pollution, corruption and ethnic di
scrimination, as well as eroding state
institutions, which can all cause despair, frustrat
ion, fuel extremism and bring violence, leading
to insecurity.
This paper tries to address these challenges. It f
urther gives proposals to a more comprehensive,
multilateral approach which could be advanced and t
hat can appeal to a wider spectrum of actors
including local, national, regional and internation
al organizations, as well as NGOS and civil
societies. It also emphacizes the fact that promoti
ng peace and stability in this religion
effectively, still poses a major challenge. Thus, a
strong need exists for further research and
insight from the professional and academic domains
to better understand the complexity of
contemporary conflicts. | en |
