Civil Wars and Coups d'Etat in West Africa: An Attempt to Understand the Roots and Prescribe Possible Solutions [Paperback]

Working from a thematic, empirical-analytical approach, this work surveys the root causes of civil wars and military coups d'?tat in West Africa, analyzes the implications for the region as a whole, and identifies possible solutions to these armed conflicts.A citizen of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),Issaka K. Souar?, born in 1976 in N'Z?r?kor?, works at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London. A Contributing Editor to the London-based review journal, African Renaissance, he is the author of numerous articles relating to Africa. His most recent publications have addressed Franco-African relations, human rights and conflict resolution in Africa, and economic development and regional integration. He is also the author of the best-selling novel,Samassi(2004), and the forthcoming book,60 Years of Africa in the UN System (1945-2005): Ups and Downs of a Continent in a World Body.

This book addresses the root causes of [political instability]&and puts forward many valuable recommendations for preventing and resolving them. While some authors, for reasons sometimes unclear, have tended to&ignore or even distort ECOWAS's contribution&[Souar?] appreciates our efforts and does not shy away from constructively scrutinizing them... Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary, Economic Community of West African States

[Souar?] writes not as a disinterested observer, but as a researcher with deep compassion for the subject matter, the people of West Africa, and the continent as a whole. I recommend this book to&historians, political scientists, students of international relations, as well as those involved in conflict resolution and African studies. Joe L. Washington, Visiting Professor, University of Pisa, Italy

Issaka Souar?&emphasizes that better governance, more genuine democracy, and better living conditions for the people of an area now suffering from widespread poverty are needed to mal#æ