Browsing by Author "Minja, Rasul A."

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Europe: War and Conflict in Africa
    (SAGE Publications, 2013) Minja, Rasul A.
    Determined to discredit single-factor explanations for the emergence of Africa's wars, Williams applies Robert Cox's neo-Gramscian approach which centres on different types of state–society complex. He adeptly employs this approach to analyse the range of actors, institutions and processes that influence the cause of wars in Africa. With several case studies and appendices the book is a valuable reference for students, policy makers, civil society actors and those determined to promote peace and security in Africa.
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    International Relations: International Mediation
    (SAGE Publications, 2014-09-01) Minja, Rasul A.
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    Kenya: Between Hope and Despair, 1963-2011
    (African Studies Center, 2012) Minja, Rasul A.
    Kenya has been a beacon of stability in the East African sub-region albeit a political milieu colored by institutionalization of violence over the years and economic marginalization, often viewed in ethno-geographic terms. Daniel Branch's book is a presentation of statecraft and governance crisis in post-colonial Kenya, focusing mainly on the role played by elites. It ought to be noted that the violence that rocked Kenya following the 2007 elections was not a surprise episode but a simmering volcano only waiting to explode. Ethnicity as a medium of political mobilization coupled with profound divisions along regional and religious lines have characterized local politics (Ajulu 2001, p.1) (1) Indeed, the spate of communal violence has either been sponsored or condoned by elites in positions of power. What the author describes as "fetishisation of order" (p. 18) by successive Kenya's ruling elites is an outcome of a strategy of informalizing state repressive institutions to serve political ends. The volume is niftily organized, chronologically presenting dynamics of Kenyan politics under three regimes (Kenyatta 1963-78; Moi 1978-2002; Kibaki 2002-present). It is basically a blend of informed personal reflections and biographical characterization of the most influential personalities in the country's political scene. This approach makes the author's account of Kenya's political history more fascinating.
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    When War Ends: Building Peace in Divided Communities
    (Center for African Studies, 2014) Minja, Rasul A.
    This multi-authored volume offers the opportunity to comprehend the whole process of reconstructing post-conflict war-torn societies. It is an important volume, which besides capturing problems, challenges, and opportunities associated with the reconstruction process, offers in-depth analyses of the nature, dynamics, and complexity of the process. Contributions in this volume reveal the lack of consensus on the definition of peacebuilding. Some authors show preference for a narrow definition whilst others opt for an all-inclusive, broad conceptualization. However, one characterization that in my view comes close to providing a close description of the process holds that "in effect, though peacebuilding has a normative orientation, i.e. reconstructing a secure, peaceful and developed society, it is a largely value-laden project that apportions disproportionate powers to those who prescribe, fund and implement peacebuilding programmes" (p.5). The volume adopts the label "Liberal Peacebuilding" because of the predominant emphasis on neoliberal political and economic principles. The West African country of Sierra Leone that has had a significant share of peacebuilding programmes, is covered in great detail. Some comparative analyses.