Fourteen of Africa's 53 countries were afflicted by armed conflicts in 1996 alone. These accounted for more than half of all war-related deaths worldwide, resulting in more than 8 million refugees, returnees and displaced persons. - Kofi Annan, 1998

War and conflicts present acute problems for human security and development in Africa. There are currently close to 20 armed conflicts in Africa (up from 14 in 1996) while 11 other countries are under severe political crises. Conflict and instability impose very large human and economic costs on Africa and undermine domestic and international efforts to promote human development. In addition, in many African countries the quest for national identity and for effective democracy remains elusive. Finally, the formulation and implementation of policies has often been hindered by poor development management capacity - looking for ways to improve governance is thus another vital area of concern.

Policy Brief: Social and Economic Policies to Prevent Complex Humanitarian Emergencies Lessons from Experience by Jeni Klugman [PDF document - 455KB]

Papers

• Thinking About Developmental States in Africa - Thandika Mkandawire
• Managing Economic Development in Africa - Nguyuru Lipumba
• Political, Economic and Social Institutions: A Review of Growth Evidence - Janine Aron
• Bureaucratic Structure and Performance in Africa: Survey Findings - Julius Court and Beatrice Weder [ PDF document |  Word document ]
• Human (In)Security in Africa: Prospects for Good Governance in the Twenty-First Century - Tim Shaw and Albrecht Schnabel

Research in Progress

• Bureaucratic Structure and Performance in Africa
• The Changing Nature of Democracy, Africa Workshop
• Why Some Countries Avoid Conflicts while Others Fail: the Impact of Public Expenditures

Links

INCORE
Dalhousie University
Harvard Africa site