The first article on page 3 is titled: ‘ECOWAS’s Efforts at Resolving Guinea-Bissau’s Protracted Political Crisis, 2015–2019’ written by Brown Odigie. This article examines the lingering political crisis that erupted in August 2015 within the leadership cadre of the country’s governing elites, following the dismissal of Prime Minister (PM) Domingos Simões Pereira by President Vaz and the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) sustained efforts to foster peace, political stability and harmonious relationships among the country’s governing members. On page 12 : ‘Oil Pipeline Vandalism in the Niger Delta: Need, Greed and Grievance Factors’ by Al Chukwuma Okoli. This article examines the basis of petroleum pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta, against the backdrop of the high prevalence and incidences of such events in the region in recent years. Page 20 : ‘Appraising Intergroup Contact in Zambia’s Electoral Politics’ by Kabale Ignatius Mukunto. While senior leaders on both sides of Zambia’s political divide may communicate civilly when faced with differences, the majority of their rank and file members seldom do so. For the latter, the handling of political conflicts is synonymous with violence. This article therefore appraises intergroup contact in light of Zambia’s electoral politics and the emergent violence. Page 28: ‘Food Aid, Village Politics and Conflict in Rural Zimbabwe: The Case of the Tandi Chiefdom’ by Mark Chingono. This article focuses on the Tandi chiefdom in rural Zimbabwe and critically examines the dynamics, impacts and politics of food aid distribution at grassroots level. The article shows that the food aid distribution system is flawed and is abused by villagers, and that village politics determines who gets food. Page 36: ‘A Leadership Perspective for Sustainable Peace in the Central African Republic’ by Opeyemi Ademola Olayiwola. Since independence in 1960, the CAR has suffered five successful coups d’état. This article argues for a process-based leadership perspective for achieving sustainable peace in the CAR. It also looks at the historical and contemporary roots of conflict in the CAR. The dilemma of peacebuilding in the CAR is then discussed, followed by leadership as a process in peacebuilding. Page 45: ‘Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’ by Naila Salihu. This article discusses the issues surrounding the
elections and implications for stability in the post-election environment. The first section discusses the contentious issues that characterised the pre-election phase. This is followed by an analysis of developments in the post-election environment and the overall implications for stability.
