This volume seeks to understand the central role of governments in intra-state conflicts.The book explores how the government in any society plays two pivotal roles: as a deterrent against those who would use violence; and as a potential danger to the society. These roles come into conflict with each other, as those governments that can best deter

Shows how regional and international interventions, combined with piracy, have compounded pre-existing tensions in the Horn of Africa.

This volume seeks to understand the central role of governments in intra-state conflicts. The book explores how the government in any society plays two pivotal roles: as a deterrent against those who would use violence; and as a potential danger to the society. These roles come into conflict with each other, as those governments that can best deter potential rebels are also those that can do the most harm to their citizens. Therefore, a balance must be achieved, raising difficult tradeoffs for policy-makers. This volume marks a departure from studies of ethnic conflict and civil war in recent years, which have focused on failed states, in considering the idea that governments themselves may be the source of violence. The contributors not only explore the balancing act that governments must perform, but also on the positive and negative roles that the international community can play in these conflicts. In doing so, the book covers a range of cases from both advanced and newer democracies to the most conflict-prone parts of the world.

This book identifies the most important sources of intra-state conflict in the individual countries of the Horn of Africa. It explores how serious the threats are to the security of the states and their people; the region; and it identifies the appropriate conflict resolution approach. Hirbe indicates that the political marginalization and discrimination by the dominant ethnic group in power against the members of disadvantaged ethnic groups is the most important source of intra-state conflict. His findings demonstrate that the authoritarian states in the Horn of African countries are the major source of threats to individual security. Moreover, the security of the states in the region are closely interlinked; their national securities cannot be considered apart from one another. The book notes that the realist-militaristic, zero-sum game conflict resolution approach dominates the behavior of most parties involved in intra-state conflict in the Horn of Africa. However, different conflict resolution approaches could be effective and appropriate to resolve the intra-state conflict in each individual country: the traditional bottom-up approach in Somalia, Power Sharing through the Ethnic federalism in Ethiopia, and Encouraging Good Governance in Eritrea and Djibouti.

Explores how outside intervention affects the course of civil wars

The main purpose of the study is to discuss the inter-state and intra-state conflicts and the main problem areas in the geography extending from China to Eurasia. The book consists of eighteen chapters, all written by senior professors and associate professors.