The Role of African Regional Organisations in the Management of Electoral Conflicts. A Case of SADC and ECOWAS

Elections have become a common phenomenon in the modern politics of the post-colonial Africa and are being used as tools for peaceful transition of power and the consolidation of democracy This has however proven to be a difficult process including many actors and as such regional organisations in Africa have become important players in the management of elections. This thesis analyses the role played by the South African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the management of electoral conflicts within their respective regions. The Democratic Peace theory is used as a conceptual framework of analysis particularly with regards to issues of democracy, conflicts and peace. Electoral malpractices are among the challenges to the democratization process in Africa and have resulted in the lack of trust towards the electoral systems. The study identifies and analyses the mechanism’s adopted to address electoral related conflicts these include the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. Using Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe as cases studies, the study findings indicate considerable progress in the management of electoral conflicts by ECOWAS and SADC. The interventions by ECOWAS have resulted in the belief that the application jus en bello has shifted in Africa whilst the SADC interventions indicate a softer and diplomatic approach. Keywords: Conflict management, regional organisations, elections, democracy