West African Regional Security: Conflict Management, Integration and Collective Security

Following the recent trends in world politics, the need to think beyond the state has become inevitable. From the end of colonialism in West Africa to the advent of globalisation, the nations in that region have continued to face similar problems and have not made any significant and substantial economic or political progress. Nations of West Africa have continued to be entangled in the claws of civil wars, group conflict, coups and military insurrections, unstable polities, corrupt and authoritarian regimes, proliferation of guerilla and quasi terrorist factions who have threatened the stability, hindered economic progress and democratic systems from working. Despite the millions of dollars that go into the pockets of West African national governments annually, substantial growth and development has still not been realised and most if not all of the regions nations are still regarded as some of the worlds poorest. This cannot be overlooked with the more recent problem of HIV and AIDS, the poverty and illiteracy rate of the people of West Africa, and the issue of cross border infiltrations. The West African region has the potential to consolidate its resources and maintain a balanced and peaceful atmosphere which will allow for other economic and social prosperity of the region and will facilitate a significant speed in the general development of the region more than any single West African country can. Thus with a political scheme which will allow for a multilateral union of West African nations, an efficiency in conflict management, peacekeeping, and intervention will ensure economic and democratic prosperity.

My personal education background has driven me into the investigation of West African security policies and concerns. Having studied history and international studies, I am strongly interested in the nature of the inter-state relationship of West African nations and the issues that concern the entire region. As a current student of International Conflict Analysis I have understood the nature of international conflicts and violence; the mineral and economic drives of conflicts, the effects of conflicts on development and political stability, the relative expensive costs of conflicts, and the need for a collective action in managing inter and intra-national conflicts and peacekeeping for the security of the west African region which tops the foreign policy ladder of most nations in the region. As a Nigerian I also understand the importance of regional security and the efforts my country have put into supporting the development and stability of West Africa. I also believe that Nigeria has the capacity and will play a vital role in ensuring the stability and peace of the region.