Society Under Siege II

The report examines the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), detailing its origins in 1963 and its initial commitment to sovereignty and non-interference. It analyzes the OAU's shift in the 1990s toward conflict prevention, highlighted by the 1993 establishment of the Mechanism for preventing, managing, and resolving conflicts. The text also discusses the devastating impact of armed conflict on African development, including the destruction of infrastructure, loss of skilled manpower, and environmental degradation, while noting the OAU's challenges with funding and information gathering.

• The OAU was established in 1963 with primary goals including the promotion of unity and solidarity among African states, the eradication of colonialism, and the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• Armed conflict in Africa causes severe developmental damage by destroying physical infrastructure, disrupting agricultural production, and triggering a 'brain drain' of skilled professionals.
• In 1993, the OAU established a 'mechanism for preventing, managing, and resolving conflicts in Africa', marking a shift toward taking primary responsibility for regional security and deviating from strict non-interference in crises that threaten regional stability.
• The OAU's conflict management efforts are hindered by significant resource shortages, difficulties in obtaining timely information on conflict situations, and a lack of a comprehensive early warning network.

APA

Cornwell, R., Solomon, H., & Cilliers, J. (n.d.). Society Under Siege II. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CHAP5S.PDF

Chicago

Cornwell, Richard, Hussein Solomon, and Jakkie Cilliers. Society Under Siege II. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CHAP5S.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cornwell |first1=Richard |last2=Solomon |first2=Hussein |last3=Cilliers |first3=Jakkie |title=Society Under Siege II |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CHAP5S.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cornwellndsociety, author = {Cornwell, Richard and Solomon, Hussein and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Society Under Siege II}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CHAP5S.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }