Africa peace and conflict journal, v. 4, no. 1, June 2011

Abstract

Two sets of standards are often applied to Africa: in one, the international community takes decisive action when there is sufficient geo-political interest in a state, and in the other, the international community remains on the sideline as belligerents; typically, sub-Saharans fight on without intervention until a clear winner emerges. In North Africa the ‘Arab Spring’ emerged from confrontations between citizens demanding new and better governance and positive changes in their lives and those benefiting from the status quo. The articles in this edition address governance or gender and sometimes both. They touch on pertinent aspects of governance and security that affect not only Africa, but the international community as well.