The Relationship Between Armed Conflict and State Failure in Africa: Towards a Contemporary Analysis

Abstract

This paper discusses the link between armed conflict and state failure in Africa. It argues that these concepts are not mutually exclusive but rather reinforce one another. The paper further argues that the inability of states to deliver public goods to a vast majority of citizens, coupled with the failure to exert control over given territories, provide a framework for generating both some proximate and root cause(s) of armed conflict in Africa. The paper found that peace, security, and other accompanying development outcomes have over the years been undermined as a result of the effects of armed conflict and state failure. While there is no easy solution to ending armed conflict or resuscitating failed and collapsed states, an appreciation of both the internal and external forces that continue to shape and influence Africa's socio-economic and political landscape represents an important step towards finding a lasting solution to the problem.