From the Publisher
Although democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights are the defining idioms of contemporary state governance and international relations, they are hardly commonplace in Africa. In domestic environments severely degraded by abuse of power and rebellion, what kind of existence do African leaders give to their people? Can they proclaim rights for their citizens in international instruments but behave in ways that are diametrically opposite? What future has democracy when the last election was a rogue one and the incumbent regime the beneficiary? Sierra Leone, whose civil conflict enters its tenth year in March 2001, carries the unenviable status of playing host to the world's largest peacekeeping force. Yet there is still no lasting peace in a conflict that has determined not so much who is right or wrong as who is left.
What went wrong? What has been the role of regional and international actors? What lessons are there for them? What can foreign governments, international organisations, diplomats, lawyers, politicians and students learn from it? What is the best way out of the quagmire? What can be done to avoid similar conflicts in the world in general and Africa in particular? These are some of the key issues discussed by Dr Abass Bundu in his book, Democracy by Force?
About the Author
Dr Abass Bundu is former Executive Secretary of ECOWAS and former Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone, his native country. An international lawyer with a doctorate from Cambridge, he is widely respected and has vast experience in West African affairs.
