The regional dimension of protracted social conflicts : the chaos of the African Great Lakes

Abstract

The current situation in the African Great Lakes can be described as chaotic. Ever since the states of the region realised their independence in the years after the Second World War, conflicts over ethnicity, natural resources and declining state systems have been the common theme. This dissertation set out to analyse the situation in the African Great Lakes through the lens of the theories of regional conflict complexes and protracted social conflicts, with the aim being to emphasise that it is possible for a protracted social conflict to take place on a regional level rather than just on the domestic level. This was done through the analysis of both the historical and contemporary dynamics of the conflicts in the African Great Lakes, focusing primarily on the Rwandan Genocide, the two Congo Wars and the situation in the DRC after peace had been brokered. It found that whilst the case of the African Great Lakes is in fact a very good example of a protracted social conflict, it has a predominant regional basis which defines the entire conflict in the area. This suggested that a protracted social conflict can very well take place on a regional dimension, thus resulting in a protracted regional conflict. This allowed for greater flexibility to the theory of protracted social conflicts through the use of regional conflict complexes.