Mediating Conflict in West Africa
By Nicholas Okai, PhD
Conflicts in West Africa have become increasingly very complex, involving a multitude of actors operating at different levels. The gamut of contentious issues fuelling such conflicts is also equally diverse. The litany of issues includes the nature of inter-state borders inherited from colonial times. Most of these borders were poorly carved without recourse to history and the socio-political realities of those living on the continent. Consequently, what is currently being flagged geographically as a state, in most cases does not comprehensively represent the cultural aspirations and the common identity that citizens would like to be associated with.
About the Author
Nicholas Okai, PhD
Nicholas Nii A. Okai, is a political scientist and a certified ADR practitioner. He worked as a planning analyst at the Ghana National Development Planning Commission, during the roll-out of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II). He has several years of experience in planning and executing study abroad programs with the Aya Centre (located in Accra-Ghana), where he worked for several years with American students from various universities coming to Ghana.