THE PROBLEMS OF THE AFRICAN                      CONTINENT


In spite of the so called political independence of African States, the African continent is bedevilled by wars and the subsequent ever increasing number of refugees scattered all over

the continent, poverty, starvation, illiteracy and vanishing resources.


  The problems of the African continent today arise mainly because of the scramble for scarce resources, the worsening conditions of the peasantry and the working class, class antagonism, ethnic demands for self determination, discoveries of minerals and oil. Why is the African continent often marred with violent conflicts.


              VIOLENT CONFLICT


conflict enters a violent phase when parties go beyond seeking to attain their goals peacefully, and try to dominate, demage or destroy the opposing party's ability to pursue their own interests. Davies(1973) has noted that the existence of frustration of substantive, physical, social - affectional, self esteem, and self -actualization  or implemental needs ( security, knowledge and power) is the essential condition for one non-violent conflict to escalate into a violent one. Thus, violence as a response is produced when certain innate needs or demands are deeply frustrated.


In political conflict analysis, the use of force, and the existence of physical damages and human casualties are the characteristics of a violent conflict. Battle related human casualties thresholds are commonly used to define violent conflict, particularly in respect of war. An aggressive manifest conflict process (AMPC) is the term that Sandole (1998) uses to describe violent conflict, which; according to his definition represents:

    a situation in which at least two parties, or their representatives, attempt to pursue their perceptions of mutually incompatible goals by physically damaging or destroying the property and high value symbols of one another eg, religious shrines, national monuments; and or psychologically or physically injuring, destroying, or otherwise forcibly eliminating one another.


There are various facet of violence in Africa, the situational, inter group and interpersonal variables that contribute to the vicious cycle of conflict as manifested in conflict, aggression, wars and crimes that have ravaged the continent in the last three decades. During these years, violence has been employed, among other things, to settle ethnic and territorial grievances, overthrow autocratic regimes, or acquire scarce resources. Consequently millions of people have been killed, displaced, or have lost their property.

For more visit
http://peaceconflictmanagement..com

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