Segun Joshua

The Diplomatic Dimensions of the syrian Conflict

The domino effect of the Arab Spring in Syria which began as a reaction against the regime of Basher Assad over the years has deteriorated into a civil war. The paper investigates the diplomatic dimensions of the Syrian conflict and pays attention to the conflict of interests amongst the major powers most especially the United States and Russia. It contends that the competitive display of power by the United States and Russia rekindled memories of the Cold War and seriously limited the possibilities of effective intervention in the Syrian war by the international community. Furthermore, the paper also seeks to explore the diverse implications of the Syrian war for international and regional politics which included the possibility of a “multipolarization” of the world as against a unipolar world dominated by the United States, alarming proliferation of arms and the threat of terrorism, gross infringement of human rights and the failure of diplomacy in the presence of cross-cutting domestic and foreign interests of the powers involved.

Clan politics and violent conflict in Nigeria: the Ebira Tao experience

Abstract This paper examines clan politics and violent conflict using Ebira Tao Nigeria as a focal point of study. Some scholars believe that cultural differences are responsible for inter-group conflict; hence, the study investigates this position. Instrumentalist theory of conflict was adopted as a framework and survey research method to gather data which were content analysed. 1200 copies of questionnaire were administered, but only 850 were retrieved and used. Findings from the study show that violence in Ebiraland is caused partly by clan-oriented politics that hinges on struggle for political power, clan headship and supremacy among the various clans in Ebiraland. The study suggests among others, the need for door to door campaigns to sensitize people towards the negative impact of violent-oriented clan politics.

The AU’s Progress and Achievements in the Realm of Peace and Security:

When Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was formed, the problem confronting Africa continent then was colonialism. It is therefore not a surprise that its major preoccupation was how to liberate countries within the continent that were still under the grip of colonialism. However, the surge of conflicts in various African countries shortly after independence, manifesting in form of ethnicity, religious, struggle for political power among others, coupled with OAU policy of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of member states, combined to turn African continent to the bedlam of the world. The failure of OAU led to the formation of the African Unity (AU) to correct some of these ills. This article examines AU’s achievements in the realm of peace and security using secondary sources of data gathering. Since AU came on board, how far has it fared in promoting peace and security in the continent? Findings reveal that although AU has achieved much in the realm of peace and security in Africa, yet it lacks the needed human resources and institutional capacity to conduct effective peace operations and peace-making initiatives. The study therefore suggested among others the need to strengthen AU’s institutional capacity and more personnel should be donated by members countries