Project MUSE®: African Conflict & Peacebuilding Review - Latest Articles
https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/509
Project MUSE®: Latest articles in African Conflict & Peacebuilding Review.daily12026-05-19T00:00:00-05:00text/htmlen-USVol. 1 (2011) through current issueLatest Articles: African Conflict & Peacebuilding ReviewTWOProject MUSE®African Conflict & Peacebuilding Review2156-72632156-695XLatest articles in African Conflict & Peacebuilding Review. Feed provided by Project MUSE®Lighter Fluid or Flame Retardant? Religious Movements and the Rise of Populism in Contemporary Africa
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/979534
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Scholars and journalists warn that “populism is a rising threat and poses a clear and present danger to Africa” (Southwell 2022).1 It is easy to understand their worry. While African countries vary considerably in economic development, many face high unemployment and inequality (Kunawotor et al. 2020; Metu et al. 2020) that politicians, such as South Africa’s Julius Malema (Biti et al. 2022, 234) or Senegal’s Ousmane Sonko (Akinpelu 2023), may exploit by presenting themselves as the people’s savior. A rash of military coups d’état has stoked additional concerns about populist movements turning violent, as soldiers seize power to nominally defend the nation against state elites (Usman 2024).Theorists debate the
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Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-19T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/509/image/coversmallLighter Fluid or Flame Retardant? Religious Movements and the Rise of Populism in Contemporary Africa2026-01-13text/htmlen-USLighter Fluid or Flame Retardant? Religious Movements and the Rise of Populism in Contemporary Africa2026-01-132026TWOProject MUSE®1994312026-05-19T00:00:00-05:002026-01-13Understanding Narratives in the Farmer-Herder Conflicts of Northern Nigeria
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/979535
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Farmer-herder conflicts occurring across sub-Saharan Africa constitute a critical threat to peace, security, and livelihoods. These conflicts are layered, contextual, and manifest in varying forms of violence. In West Africa’s Sahelian region, multiple studies describe migratory herder groups, often the traditionally nomadic Fulani tribe, as compelled by pressures imposed by climate change, political interests, or religious motivations to move to southern lands already inhabited by sedentary, native farmers (Chukwuma 2020; Maiangwa 2017; Ugwueze et al. 2022). Events of violence are often triggered by acute resource scarcity in the region due to competition for common resources between herders who require pasture
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Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-19T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/509/image/coversmallUnderstanding Narratives in the Farmer-Herder Conflicts of Northern Nigeria2026-01-13text/htmlen-USUnderstanding Narratives in the Farmer-Herder Conflicts of Northern Nigeria2026-01-132026TWOProject MUSE®1025682026-05-19T00:00:00-05:002026-01-13Strategic Shifts or Repeated Mistakes: The Ethiopian Counterinsurgency Approaches in Tigray and Amhara
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/979536
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Asymmetrical warfare has defined the 21st-century security landscape, with insurgents frequently described by politicians, security experts, and researchers as key conflict actors varying in scale, tactics, and objectives. This has been accompanied by the widespread use of “counterinsurgency” (COIN) to describe strategies aimed at defeating non-state armed groups. While insurgencies have existed throughout history, their significance grew in the 20th and 21st centuries, reflecting the repeated inability of militarily superior forces to decisively defeat them. Global insurgencies driven by shared ideological goals have further amplified this trend. Since the Cold War, conventional wars have declined, while conflicts
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Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-19T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/509/image/coversmallStrategic Shifts or Repeated Mistakes: The Ethiopian Counterinsurgency Approaches in Tigray and Amhara2026-01-13text/htmlen-USStrategic Shifts or Repeated Mistakes: The Ethiopian Counterinsurgency Approaches in Tigray and Amhara2026-01-132026TWOProject MUSE®1420102026-05-19T00:00:00-05:002026-01-13Taking Armed Group Fragmentation Seriously in Multilateral Interventions
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/979538
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Multilateral organizations are increasingly involved in complex and fragmented civil war environments. The risks of fragmentation are well known, but surprisingly little is known about how external interventions—no matter how well-meaning—may unintentionally exacerbate this issue. The risk of fragmentation is exemplified by the ongoing civil war in Sudan. From a confrontation between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the conflict has grown to involve many other armed actors. Any possibility of creating a cohesive peace process has been thwarted by their conflicting agendas, shifting allegiances, and localized violence (Ali and Eltayeb 2024).Sudan is far from unique. In Libya, the
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Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-19T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/509/image/coversmallTaking Armed Group Fragmentation Seriously in Multilateral Interventions2026-01-13text/htmlen-USTaking Armed Group Fragmentation Seriously in Multilateral Interventions2026-01-132026TWOProject MUSE®802292026-05-19T00:00:00-05:002026-01-13The BRICs That Build Audacity? South Africa’s Policy Toward the Russia-Ukrainian Conflict and the Future of Geopolitics in Africa
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/979539
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I would like to begin this policy brief by declaring that my view coincides with the official policy position of the South African state and, probably, that of the majority of the South African population. Under the euphemism of a special military operation (SMO), Russia declared war on Ukraine and marched its military into the latter’s territories on February 24, 2022. This, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine. Other highlighted objectives included ensuring Ukraine’s neutrality and liberating the Donbas—an eastern part of Ukraine largely populated by ethnic Russians (Glantz 2022). While pro-Russian narratives suggest that Russia was provoked into taking this
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Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-19T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/509/image/coversmallThe BRICs That Build Audacity? South Africa’s Policy Toward the Russia-Ukrainian Conflict and the Future of Geopolitics in Africa2026-01-13text/htmlen-USThe BRICs That Build Audacity? South Africa’s Policy Toward the Russia-Ukrainian Conflict and the Future of Geopolitics in Africa2026-01-132026TWOProject MUSE®909642026-05-19T00:00:00-05:002026-01-13Negotiating Peace Within Traditional Spaces: The Asantehene’s Cloths in the Mediation of the Dagbon Chieftaincy Conflict
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/979540
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Art is integral to the culture and tradition of every society, expressing societal values, fostering unity, and promoting national integration (Afolaranmi and Afolaranmi 2024). Similarly, art plays a vital role in conflict mediation or peacemaking processes. Camilla Pagani (2016, 160) states, “Art can contribute to the efforts to avoid resorting to violence and to address conflict constructively.” In conflict-affected communities, art can be a restorative and transformative tool for reconciliation, healing the past, and rebuilding the future (Fairey 2017). This paper focuses on the role of art in conflict resolution processes. It analyzes the role of cloth (as an art form) as a peacemaking tool in conflict
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Project MUSE®https://muse.jhu.edu/2026-05-19T00:00:00-05:00https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/509/image/coversmallNegotiating Peace Within Traditional Spaces: The Asantehene’s Cloths in the Mediation of the Dagbon Chieftaincy Conflict2026-01-13text/htmlen-USNegotiating Peace Within Traditional Spaces: The Asantehene’s Cloths in the Mediation of the Dagbon Chieftaincy Conflict2026-01-132026TWOProject MUSE®1475462026-05-19T00:00:00-05:002026-01-13