Author: Obi, ndifon neji
Affiliated organization: University of calabar
Date of publication: 2018
*Les Wathinotes sont des extraits de publications choisies par WATHI et conformes aux documents originaux. Les rapports utilisés pour l’élaboration des Wathinotes sont sélectionnés par WATHI compte tenu de leur pertinence par rapport au contexte du pays. Toutes les Wathinotes renvoient aux publications originales et intégrales qui ne sont pas hébergées par le site de WATHI, et sont destinées à promouvoir la lecture de ces documents, fruit du travail de recherche d’universitaires et d’experts.
The interconnectedness of the threats to peace and security in Guinea is captured in a way and manner, such that one factor interacts and influences the other as reflected in the web. The web shows the participating organizations view about the variables under consideration. It could be observed for instance, that MARWOPNET with an average score of 3 has a higher view of the interaction of the variables in threatening peace and security of lives and property in the Republic of Guinea than others. The total average score of 2.6 on a scale of 4 representing 65% therefore, suggest that the interaction between small arms and light weapons, instability in member states of the Mano River Union (MRU), bad governance and mismanagement of processes within CSOs individually and collectively contribute to threatening peace and security in the Republic of Guinea.
It is easy to deduce from this interaction that bad governance predisposes the State to radicalism (Yaya, 2018) occasioned by attempts to upturn the status quo as the history of coups and counter coups suggest in Guinea. This has often culminated in the militarization of the civil population, arm banditry and cross border attacks. In the same vein, instability in member States of the MRU has often had domino effect on the peace and security of Guinea. The Liberia and the Sierra Leone civil wars for example inadvertently activated mass movement of refugees into Guinea thereby threatening the already fragile peace, security and economy of the country. Peace in Guinea would be continuously threatened as these variables continue to interact in this manner.
With a total percentage score of 65%, the web above clearly suggests that for peace and security to be sustained in Guinea, the civil society sector must necessarily design and implement programs and projects that are directed towards addressing the menace posed by the illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons, support state structures to entrench good governance and stability in member states of the MRU and ensure internal democracy
The web equally shows the rise and fall of the strings in line with the participating organization’s perception of the interaction of the variables. Organizations with high average scores and percentages (%) suggest a greater opinion about the interaction of the variables in relation to the threat they pose to peace and security and those with low average scores and percentages (%) suggest a lower opinion about the threat posed by the interaction of variables under consideration.
This again means for instance, that an organization like MARWOPNET with an average score of 3 on a scale of 4 representing 75% strongly hold the view that the interaction of small arms and light weapons, bad governance, instability in member States of the MRU and mismanagement of the internal processes of CSOs are potent threats to peace and security in Guinea while an organization like ERA with an average score of 2.3 on a scale of 4 representing 58% is suggestive of a weak opinion about the threat posed by the interaction between the variables under consideration. It could be gleaned from the web that organizations operating in the same environment can have different opinions on the same issue and demonstrates how these respective issues from the organizations’ perspectives can contribute to threatening or strengthening peace and security in Guinea.
With a total percentage score of 65%, the web above clearly suggests that for peace and security to be sustained in Guinea, the civil society sector must necessarily design and implement programs and projects that are directed towards addressing the menace posed by the illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons, support state structures to entrench good governance and stability in member states of the MRU and ensure internal democracy.
Findings from interviews and group discussions also point to the fact that Government’s inability to effectively mop the illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) in circulation constitute a potent threat to peace and security in Guinea
Discussants noted as a recurrent issue in group discussions, that this is so because government’s inability to provide jobs and alternative means of survival makes ex-combatants ready tools in the hands of those who can pay for their services. Discussants further declared that as long as there are illicit arms in the hands of unemployed youths, peace and security of lives and property in the sub region will be continuously threatened.
The point that the peace and stability of Guinea cannot be attained in isolation of other member States of the MRU was a recurrent issue in group discussions and interviews with civil society actors especially, the National Commission Against the illicit Circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACASALW), the National Transition Council of Guinea (NTC) and West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP). These organizations declared that instability in any member state of the MRU means instability in Guinea. They argued that this is so because in the past, the conflict especially in Liberia and Sierra Leone saw thousands of refugees migrating to Guinea. This refugee influx they noted, exerted additional pressure on the already overstretched fragile economy and environment of Guinea with social infrastructure, health and educational facilities stretched beyond their limits.
Findings from interviews and group discussions also point to the fact that Government’s inability to effectively mop the illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) in circulation constitute a potent threat to peace and security in Guinea. The mere fact that such weapons are mostly in the hands of unemployed youths further threaten the objective of peace and security in Guinea. It was further maintained that although the Republic of Guinea has been able to maintain itsstability in the region, the circulation of SALWs remains a potent threat as it has often been used in pockets of violence in Guinea.
Dr. Mahmoud Cissé of the National Commission against the Illicit Circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (ComNat-Guinee), during an interview, also declared that small arms and light weapons and incomplete disarmament process appear to be major threats to peace consolidation. Again, Jean Millimouno, the National Network Coordinator of WANEP-Guinee, strengthened the “SALWs-threat to peace nexus” when he remarked that small arms and light weapons featured prominently in the conflict in the forest region in N’zerekoré in which more than a hundred people lost their lives and many others were wounded.
This point was also corroborated by Rahamane Diallo, Guinea Program Coordinator of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), when he revealed during an interview that the N’zerekoré conflict borne out of ‘indigene-settlers’ claims was aggravated by the use of SALWs). Frederick Loua, President of Les Mêmes Droits pour Tous (MDT) (‘Equal Rights for All’) a human rights organization, lent credence to the threat posed by SALWs when he observed that “someone killed a man with a gun at Koulé (a village situated in N’zerekoré where the Guerzé live) and this singular act resulted in ethnic conflict that seemingly claimed the lives of more than 600 persons”.
Commenter