Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its wide-ranging devastating effect has reduced the chances of successfully implementing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, especially in conflict and post-conflict societies. Global resources have to be deployed to find peace and stability across the world's trouble spots if its negative impact on development is to be mitigated. It also calls for a re-thinking of the classical tools for implementing peace processes. COVID-19 has, indeed, brought numerous challenges to the terrain of conflict as well as conflict management imperatives and strategies. It has opened up old cleavages of race, class and economic power and ignited bases of new conflicts over its management and the control of resources. However, it has also opened our eyes to new opportunities for implementing peace processes and enlisting host populations’ support for sustainable peace.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
Statement on the Second Meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee Regarding the Outbreak of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). World Health Organisation, January 30, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news/item/30-01-2020-statement-on-the-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)
- 2.
WHO (2020) Director General's Opening Remarks the at the Media Briefing on COVID-19. World Health Organisation, March 11, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020.
- 3.
Aljazeera (2020) Coronavirus: Travel Restrictions, Border Shutdowns by Country. Aljazeera, April 6, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-travel-restrictions-border-shutdowns-country-200318091505922.html
- 4.
Joint Press Conference on COVID-19 by the IMF Managing Director and the World Bank Group President . IMF, March 4, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, fromhttps://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/03/05/tr030420-imf-wb-joint-press-conference-on-corvid-19
- 5.
UN (2020) Impact of COVID-19 on Conflict Dynamics and Mediation, Antalya Diplomatic Forum, May 19 2020, Remarks by United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo. United Nations, May 19, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://dppa.un.org/en/risks-related-to-covid-19-hitting-conflict-settings-especially-hard-says-under-secretary-general
- 6.
UN (2020) Terrorists Capitalize on COVID-19 to Erode State Authority, Attack National, International Forces in Sahel, Peacekeeping Chief Tells Security Council. Press Release. United Nations Security Council, June 5, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://press.un.org/en/2020/sc14205.doc.htm.
References
Ackerman G, Peterson H (2020) Terrorism and COVID-19: Actual and potential impacts. Perspect Terror 14(3):59–73
Anazonwu NP et al (2021) State actors, human rights violations and informal livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Territory, Politics Gover 10(6):876–895. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622671.2021.1976262
Anyadike O (2020) Briefing: what's behind South Sudan's COVID-19 inspired UN-backlash. The New Humanitarian, April 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2020/04/10/south-sudan-UN-coronavirus-backlash
Baldwin R, di Mauro BW (2020) Economics in the time of COVID-19. Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), London. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.sensiblepolicy.com/download/2020/2020_CEPR_McKibbin_Fernando_COVD-19.pdf
Chen N et al (2020) Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet 395(10223):507–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30211-7
Daw M (2021) The impact of armed conflict on the epidemiological situation of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Libya, Syria, and Yemen. Front Public Health 9:667364. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.667364
de Coning F (2020) The impact of COVID-19 on peace operations in Africa. ACCORD, December 14, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-peace-operations-in-africa/
Elston J, Cartwright C, Ndumbi P, Wright J (2017) The health impact of the 2014–15 Ebola outbreak. Public Health 143:60–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2016.10.020
Fielder C, Mross K, Adeto YA (2021) Implications of COVID-19 for conflict in Africa. Briefing Paper. German Development Institute, Bonn. https://doi.org/10.23661/bp12.2021
Garcia (2017) Neurobiology of fear and specific phobias. Learn Mem 24(9):462–471. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.044115.116
Herbert S, Marquette H (2021) Governance, and conflict: emerging impacts and future evidence needs. K4D Emerging Issues Report 34. Institute of Development Studies, Brighton. https://doi.org/10.19088/K4D.2021.029
Hockey C, Jones M (2020) The limits of ‘Shabaab-Care’: militant governance amid COVID-19. CTC Sentinel 13(6):33–39
Johnson N, Mueller J (2002) Updating the accounts: global mortality of the 1918–1920. Bull Hist Med 76(1):105–115. https://doi.org/10.1353/bhm.2002.0022
Lebatt MAH (2020) African mediation in the shadow of COVID-19. ACCORD, July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/african-mediation-in-the-shadow-of-covid-19/
Lina B (2008) History of influenza pandemics. Paleomicrobiology 199–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-75855-6_12
Madeira FC (2020) The effects of COVID-19 on AMISOM operations in Somalia. ACCORD, October 17, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/the-effects-of-covid-19-on-amisom-operations-in-somalia/
Marone F (2022) Hate in the time of coronavirus: exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on violent extremism and terrorism in the West. Secur J 35(1):205–225. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-020-00274-y
McKibbin W, Fernando R (2020) The economic impact of COVID-19. In: Baldwin R, di Mauro BW (eds) Economics in the time of COVID-19. Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), London, pp 45–51. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.sensiblepolicy.com/download/2020/2020_CEPR_McKibbin_Fernando_COVD-19.pdf
Obi C, Kabandula A (2021) COVID-19, peace and security in Africa: challenges and opportunities. African Secur 14(4):307–317. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392206.2021.2028116
Ornell F, Schuch JB, Sordi AO, Kessler FH (2020) 'Pandemic fear' and COVID-19: mental health burden and strategies. Braz J Psychiatry 42:232–235. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0008
Qu Dongyu (2020) Coronavirus could worsen hunger in the developing world. World Economic Forum, April 20, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-worsen-hunger-developing-world/
Shope RE (1958) Influenza. History, epidemiology, and speculation. Public Health Rep 73:165–178
Smit T, Ferrari SS, van der Lijn J (2020) Trends in Multilateral Peace Operations, 2019. SIPRI, May. https://doi.org/10.55163/IXJS4170
Strand H, Hegre H (2021) Trends in Armed Conflict, 1946–2020, Conflict Trends, 3. PRIO, Oslo. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.prio.org/publications/12756
Tegnell A (2020) ‘Closing borders is ridiculous’: the epidemiologist behind Sweden’s controversial coronavirus strategy. Nature 580, 574. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01098-x
UNDP (2021) Assessing impact of COVID-19 on the sustainable development goals. United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://sdgintegration.undp.org/sites/default/files/Flagship_1.pdf
Vorgel G (2020) Sweden's gamble. Science 370(6513):159–163. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.370.6513.159
WHO (nda) WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard. World Health Organization. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://covid19.who.int/
WHO (ndb) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. World Health Organization. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
WHO (2023) Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants. World Health Organization. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.who.int/en/activities/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants/
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Attuquayefio, P., Mensa-Bonsu, H. (2023). Managing Conflict and Political Processes Despite COVID-19. In: Vasiliev, A.M., Degterev, D.A., Shaw, T.M. (eds) Africa and the Formation of the New System of International Relations—Vol. II. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34041-3_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34041-3_18
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-34040-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-34041-3
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)