Fragility and Regional Conflict Resolution in West Africa: An Analysis of Ecomog’s Motivation to Intervene in Liberia & Sierra Leone

The math objective of this thesis was to examine the drivers of fragility within the West African conflict zone and the motivation of ECOMOG to intervene in both Liberia and Sierra Leone to resolve internal conflicts using regional peacekeeping arrangements. This study was guided by the following study objectives: To determine the drivers of fragility in West African conflict zone, to analyze the motivation of ECOMOG's intervention in Liberia and Sierra Leone conflict and to evaluate the effectiveness of regional conflict resolution through ECOWAS arrangements using the case of Liberia and Sierra Leone and implications for regional stability? This study utilized a qualitative approach. Data was collected from secondary sources and analyzing using content analysis for emerging themes for each research question. The findings have been presented using narrative presentation. The findings of this study show that building a proper regional economic integration requires clear perspective and the willingness of countries to sacrifice and compromise at different levels. Transcending the culture of pointing figures is a requisite towards renewing and restoring the mainstream thought of reconstructing a stable integration that can address weak political and security arrangements. Although it needs a Herculean effort, capable leadership should be tenable for the initial years of ECOWAS's establishment to inculcate the tradition of good democratic governance. Generalized theoretical frameworks that do not realistically fit the matrix of building integration should be avoided. The negative consequences of integration accrue largely due to the absence of constitutional underpinnings both at the national and regional level that adversely affect people's lives. The poor state of economic development causes repression saps human energy, which further worsens economic stagnation. Unproductive economies cannot be relied on as a base of hope for the masses to galvanize themselves for effective production efforts and more importantly draw the citizenry to aspire toward looking beyond the limitedness of national sovereignty.