THE W.O.R.D.

The African continent has been the location of some of the bloodiest and violent conflicts of recent decades. In Rwanda, for example, there was genocide on an unprecedented scale. In Europe and the USA there has been strong criticism of international organisations such as the United Nations for their slowness in reacting to crises in Rwanda and Somalia. However, from another point of view it could be argued that non-African organisations and former colonial powers (such as France and Britain) have no legitimate role to play in African politics and African conflicts. In this debate the proposition side is putting forward this view – that African conflicts need African solutions, not artificial resolutions imposed by non-African nations and organisations.

Question:

1. Should African disputes and conflicts be handled by African countries themselves, rather than by external international organisations?