International Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies

Insurgents and Their Acts: Understanding the Armed Groups in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Nwackukwu J. Obiakor — 2025-08-05

Insurgency in the Niger Delta is a recurring decimal, cutting across the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history of the region. Though, causes of armed uprising in the Niger Delta vary significantly, however, the discovery of crude oil had changed the nomenclature of conflicts in the region. As the ill feeling of neglect, marginalization, environmental degradation, water pollution, youth unemployment and monumental poverty even in the midst of plenty became the springboard that encouraged the armed uprising and brought about the emergence of sophisticated armed groups in the region. Hence this study will examine the Niger Delta insurgents and their acts, while evaluating the recruitment strategy of the insurgents, the source of arms, funding and the military training of the Niger Delta insurgent as well as other logistical prowess. Using both primary and secondary data, this study argues that contemporary armed groups in the Niger Delta region are increasingly more sophisticated in terms of training, information gathering and weaponry including enhance ICT tech. Thus, any effort to curb incessant arm uprising in the Niger Delta region must provide employment opportunities, education platforms and above all an enabling environment for peace to strive in the Niger Delta.

Donald Trump Administration and Massive Deportation Policy of Undocumented Immigrants: Implication to America’s Economy

Ubi Ubi Omini — 2025-08-20

The articles hinged on the Donald Trump administration and its massive deportation policy of undocumented immigrants. The article explained the reasons why America has become the destination point for migrants following its history and its contributions to the underdevelopment of other countries and continents. The article ventured into the contributions of migrants to the development of American’s economy. Also, how the deportation policy can be counterproductive to the economy of America at the long run. Recommendations were made on how to manage the undocumented immigrants, while migrants with criminal records should be deported, migrants who have contributed to the development of America without any criminal records should be documented and thus make their residence legitimate.

Crime Prevalence and Domestic Violence in Kisenyi Slum Area of Kampala City

Abeera Odetha Katuramu — 2025-08-21

This study investigated the prevalence of crime and domestic violence in Kisenyi, Kampala City’s largest informal settlement, with the aim of understanding their interrelationship and underlying drivers. Drawing on the Social-Ecological and Routine Activity theories, the study adopted a correlational and cross-sectional design targeting 200 respondents, including residents, community leaders, police officers, NGO personnel, and development officers. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and regression analysis. The findings revealed that crime prevalence in Kisenyi characterized by theft, burglary, rape, drug trafficking, conning, and gang activities was closely linked with domestic violence, which manifested in the form of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse within households. Contributing factors such as poverty, unemployment, alcoholism, drug abuse, and overcrowding emerged as significant predictors of both community crime and intimate partner violence. Descriptive statistics indicated a moderate-to-high awareness of crime-related risks (overall mean = 2.81, SD = 0.55) and a high prevalence of domestic violence (overall mean = 3.21, SD = 0.30), while qualitative insights emphasized the role of poverty-induced frustration, cultural norms, and substance abuse in perpetuating gender-based violence. The study concluded that crime and domestic violence in Kisenyi are mutually reinforcing phenomena, exacerbated by socioeconomic hardships, weak law enforcement, and inadequate social services. It recommends integrated interventions such as strengthening community policing, expanding livelihood support, addressing substance abuse, and improving survivor-centered services. Overall, the study highlights that tackling both the structural drivers of crime and the household-level factors underlying domestic violence is essential for sustainable violence prevention and improved security in Uganda’s informal settlements, offering valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and community-based organizations working to enhance urban safety and social well-being.

The Role of ECOWAS in the Promotion of Democracy, Peace and Security in West Africa: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects

William Hermann ARREY — 2025-12-31

In a geopolitical environment increasingly marked by persistent military coups, civil wars, and fragile democratic institutions, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has emerged as an essential actor in the defense and restoration of constitutional rule, prevention and resolution of violent conflicts, and the strengthening of democratic norms. Its interventions ranging from high profile peacekeeping deployments in countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, to mediation in political crises and the support of electoral integrity demonstrate its capacity to influence political transitions and foster post-conflict peacebuilding.? This article provides a critical and comprehensive examination of the evolving role of ECOWAS in promoting democracy, peace and security across West Africa, with particular attention to its institutional mechanisms, major interventions, and normative frameworks, while contemplating its future prospects in these areas of intervention. The research is grounded around a critical review of theoretical and empirical literature on governance and regional integration and desk-based inquiry, adopting an exploratory qualitative research design based on descriptive and thematical analysis of facts derived from secondary sources. The analysis of key issues, placed within the theoretical framework of regional integration, constructive regionalism and democratic peace theories enables the authors to reach important findings and conclusions. Perhaps, the most striking finding of this article is that while the achievements of ECOWAS give hope for democratic consolidation, peace and security in West Africa, there remains critical structural and operational challenges which need to be overcome if the regional community is going to place itself as a true central actor in West Africa’s current and future democratic peace and development. For example, the resurgence of military takeovers, resilience of authoritarian tendencies, sovereignty sensitivities among member states, ongoing resource constraints, and escalation of transnational security threats continue to test the limits of ECOWAS’s effectiveness. The article concludes by recommending fundamental institutional and operational reforms that can play not a small role in enhancing ECOWAS’s strategic effectiveness in matters of democratic consolidation, peace and regional security in West Africa amid rapid global and regional political, social, and security transformations.

Human-driven Environmental Threats in Contemporary Nigerian Literature: An Eco-critical Discourse of Christie Watson’s Tiny SunBirds Far Away

Moses Africa Adakonye — 2025-12-31

The current ecological and climate related crises in most vulnerable countries like Nigeria are due to the unchecked unsustainable practices for short term survival. These unsustainable and unabated human-driven activities pose significant threats to the nation’s ecosystems through widespread oil pollution leading to climate issues, ecological refugees, biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution of air, water and farmland which in turn result in the humanitarian crisis today. Nigeria’s eco-writers as eco-warriors aptly rise to the occasion through their works by exposing man’s inhumanity to nature, with the aim of creating critical thinking and deeper understanding of the devastating consequences of human-driven actions as well as strive for harmony via policies and ecological stewardship. It is against this backdrop that this paper explores the environmental deep concern in Christie Watson’s Tiny SunBirds Far Away (2012). It employed ‘Postcolonial ecocriticism as its theoretical framework to portray the continued negative impacts of the legacy of environmental imperialism in ex-colonies like Nigeria. It also highlighted Watson’s vivid portrayals of the consequences human-driven actions on the planet Earth, with a view to transform humanity’s relationship with the natural world from that of exploitation to sustainable harmonious coexistence. This study concluded that, Nigeria’s environmental and climate issues are mostly exacerbated by the continued unsustainable and unabated human-driven actions, inadequate environmental safe guards, unpatrioticism, greed and eco-ignorance, hence recommended the use of the moral Eco-ethics enshrined in eco-narratives to create ecological consciousness to mitigate the ongoing ecological crisis posing threat to the planet and future generations.