Protecting Human Security in Africa

This book discusses some of the most potent threats to human security in Africa. It deals especially with those threats to the security of African people which are least understood or explored. In themes varying from the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, multidimensional consequences of the using of girls as soldiers in wars, food security, the devastation of internal displacement in Africa, the policy conundrums of HIV/AIDS, the link between natural resources and human security, to the problems of forced labour, threats to women's security, and environmental security, the book examines the legal and policy challenges of protecting human security in Africa. This work also analyses the role of NGOs and the civil society in advocating human security issues in Africa. It considers the role of regional human rights mechanisms and judicial bodies, such as the African Commission for Human Rights and the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights, in seeking to guarantee human security in Africa. Finally, with particular reference to the Somalia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Darfur crises, the book studies the role of African regional organizations, especially the African Union, in protecting the human security of Africans. Written by leading experts on its various themes, this is an indispensable book for all those seeking to learn more about the real challenges facing Africans and African organizations.