IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v8y2024i9p363-378.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Conflict Dynamics and Obstacles to Peace in the Lake Chad Basin: Analysis and Perspectives for a Positive Dynamic of Peace

Author

Listed:
  • Dezo Fouodji

    (PhD Fellow, Graduate School of the Faculty of Social Sciences and International Relations, Protestant University of Central Africa, Yaoundé, Cameroon.)

Abstract

The recurrence of conflicts in the Lake Chad basin positions this region in the high-risk zone of the African Sahel, described by researchers of the Center of Progress as “arc of tension†. Focusing on the southern shore of the lake, this article is based on analyses of the documentary content of scientific works dealing with conflicts in the Lake Chad basin, the results of research and scientific articles also devoted to the same issues, and empirical data was collected from community members (through personal interviews) in order to understand the process of renewal of conflict dynamics in this ecological basin. It also draws on the work of Thomas Homer-Dixon and his Toronto research group to demonstrate that the resurgence of conflict in this basin is attributable to the mismatch between the need for vital resources and the supply, as well as to the inadequacy of national and community instruments for regulating natural resources. The article attempts to answer the following questions: what explains the recurrence of conflicts in the Lake Chad basin? And what are the obstacles to peace in this area? Firstly, it shows how the activities of cross-border criminals, the Islamist sect (Boko Haram) and the scarcity of natural resources are fueling the process of renewed conflict dynamics in the Lake Chad Basin. It then identifies the factors blocking peace in this ecological basin, in particular the difficulty of access to land and natural resources, the scarcity of economic resources, the competition between social groups for access to and control of resources, and the system for managing these resources. Finally, as a way out of the conflicts circle in this region, the article proposes an environmental mediation approach based on the promotion of incentive mechanisms for the sustainable and concerted management of natural resources and the creation of a community of interests to strengthen peaceful cohabitation between peoples, with the aim of building a positive dynamic of peace.

Suggested Citation

  • Dezo Fouodji, 2024. "Conflict Dynamics and Obstacles to Peace in the Lake Chad Basin: Analysis and Perspectives for a Positive Dynamic of Peace," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(9), pages 363-378, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:9:p:363-378
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-8-issue-9/363-378.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/conflict-dynamics-and-obstacles-to-peace-in-the-lake-chad-basin-analysis-and-perspectives-for-a-positive-dynamic-of-peace/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paul Collier & Anke Hoeffler, 2005. "Resource Rents, Governance, and Conflict," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 49(4), pages 625-633, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:osf:osfxxx:s8ayp_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Joseph Keneck Massil, 2015. "Economie constitutionnelle en Afrique: analyse empirique du changement de l’article sur la limitation de mandat des présidents," Working Papers hal-04141384, HAL.
    3. Sara Balestri & Mario A. Maggioni, 2021. "This Land Is My Land! Large-Scale Land Acquisitions and Conflict Events in Sub-Saharan Africa," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 427-450, May.
    4. Wang, Rong & Zameer, Hashim & Feng, Yue & Jiao, Zhilun & Xu, Li & Gedikli, Ayfer, 2019. "Revisiting Chinese resource curse hypothesis based on spatial spillover effect: A fresh evidence," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    5. Ang, James B. & Gupta, Satyendra Kumar, 2018. "Agricultural yield and conflict," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 397-417.
    6. Sarra Ben Slimane, 2024. "The Impact of Resource Revenue on Non-Resource Tax Revenue in Oil-Exporting Countries: Evidence from Nonlinear Analysis," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(1), pages 272-280, January.
    7. Vusal Musayev, 2016. "Externalities in Military Spending and Growth: The Role of Natural Resources as a Channel through Conflict," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 378-391, June.
    8. Li, Chengyu & Wang, Qunwei & Zhou, Peng, 2023. "Does the “resource curse” have a spatial spillover effect? Evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    9. Syed, Qasim Raza & Durani, Farah & Kisswani, Khalid M. & Alola, Andrew Adewale & Siddiqui, Aaliyah & Anwar, Ahsan, 2024. "Testing natural resource curse hypothesis amidst geopolitical risk: Global evidence using novel Fourier augmented ARDL approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    10. Lee, Chien-Chiang & He, Zhi-Wen, 2022. "Natural resources and green economic growth: An analysis based on heterogeneous growth paths," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. Carmignani, Fabrizio, 2013. "Development outcomes, resource abundance, and the transmission through inequality," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 412-428.
    12. repec:ocp:rpaper:pp-16/01 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Mehdi Abid & Habib Sekrafi & Ramzi Farhani & Zouheyr Gheraia & Hanane Abdelli, 2024. "Do Institutional Quality and Terrorism Affect the Natural Resources Rents?," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(1), pages 76-85, January.
    14. Anja Tolonen, 2019. "Endogenous Gender Roles: Evidence from Africa’s Gold Mining Industry," OxCarre Working Papers 209, Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies, University of Oxford.
    15. Ajide, Kazeem Bello & Alimi, Olorunfemi Yasiru, 2021. "Environmental impact of natural resources on terrorism in Africa," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    16. Phoebe W. Ishak & Pierre-Guillaume Méon, 2023. "A Resource-Rich Neighbor Is a Misfortune: The Spatial Distribution of the Resource Curse in Brazil," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 71(4), pages 1213-1247.
    17. Issifou, Ismael, 2017. "Can migration reduce civil conflicts as an antidote to rent-seeking?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 333-353.
    18. Hwang, Young Kyu & Díez, Ángeles Sánchez & Inglesi-Lotz, Roula, 2024. "The effects of critical mineral endowments on green economic growth in Latin America," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    19. Zsuzsa Csergő & Philippe Roseberry & Stefan Wolff, 2017. "Institutional Outcomes of Territorial Contestation: Lessons from Post-Communist Europe, 1989–2012," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 47(4), pages 491-521.
    20. Lawer, Eric Tamatey & Siakwah, Pius & Mba, Chika C. & Asante, Kofi Takyi, 2024. "The political economy of natural resource conflicts in Ghana: The case of the Songor," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    21. Addison,Tony & Boly,Amadou & Mveyange,Anthony Francis, 2017. "The impact of mining on spatial inequality recent evidence from Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7960, The World Bank.
    22. Ebeke, Christian & Omgba, Luc Désiré & Laajaj, Rachid, 2015. "Oil, governance and the (mis)allocation of talent in developing countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 126-141.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:9:p:363-378. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.