Ecology, Security, and Armed Conflicts in Africa

History shows many instances in which scarce resources and environmental degradation played a role in generating conflict, leading even to the collapse of societies and civilizations—some as early as the beginning of written history. 1 Examples include peoples in Mesopotamia and parts of the Middle East, the Maya of Central America, the Khmer of Southeast Asia, and the Anasazi of the US Southwest, among many others. As Mary Ellen O’Connell observes, “In the 1970s, Japanese leaders first argued that national security means more than being safe from traditional military threats. They made this argument at a time [when American] leaders were pressing the Japanese to spend more on security. Japanese leaders argued that sums spent on protecting the environment or food and energy sources should also count toward national security spending.” 2 This nexus of environment, security, and armed conflicts typifies many African countries.

Read On
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aunews/archive/2010/0510/0510Articles/MauduitEditorial0510.pdf