George Ngwane

Preventing Renewed Violence Through Peace Building in the Bakassi Peninsula

By George Ngwane

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This paper examines a conceptual framework of international conflict dynamics and resolution surrounding the Bakassi peninsula dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria and outlines intra-community tensions after its peaceful resolution through the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict in 2002 and handing over of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon in 2008.

Although this peace initiative and pacific settlement has reduced armed conflict, it has unwittingly and paradoxically become a trigger factor for simmering tensions which threaten renewed violence as non-confrontational actors have now shifted conflict issues to primordialism (identity-based), resources (interest-based) and refusal to abide by the ICJ decision (values-based).  The latest violence of 13th February 2015 in which pirates attacked a police boat at sea in the peninsula killing a Police Inspector and kidnapping a Police Commissioner is a core indicator that renewed armed violence cannot be ruled out in the peninsula.

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Article on the Life of George Ngwane in Indian Newspaper Amar Asom

The Sunday, March 22, 2015 edition of the Indian newspaper, Amar Asom,  carried an a story based on the life of George Ngwane. The newspaper is published in Assamese, the official language of the state of Assam in India. It also uses the Assamese alphabet.

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Searching for Common Ground in Nepal

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

Political engineering is as contentious as defining and adapting democracy in conptemporary society. Both processes can by omission or commission polarize the very society they seek to build. The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is therefore no exception.

Our field work as Rotary Peace Fellows to Kathmandu and Pokhara in Nepal for close to ten days (14th -22nd March) was about identifying conflicts and making contributions to solutions already crafted and initiated by local actors in search of common ground on the field. Kathmandu being the political capital of Nepal, and Pokhara being the eco-tourism live wire of Nepal were by design our main epicenters of conflict and peace discussions.  

Africa: "When will this Independence End?"

Mwalimu George Ngwane*

Today 6th March 2015 marks the 58th anniversary of the Independence of Ghana. Ghana being the first African country to have gained Independence is still like her other African countries tottering on the trajectory of positive peace.

And the words of Kwame Nkrumah still resonate with this reality today. "Besides, political independence, though worthwhile in itself, is still only a means to the fuller redemption and realization of a people. When independence has been gained, positive action requires a new orientation away from the sheer destruction of colonialism and towards national reconstruction. It is indeed in this address to national reconstruction that positive action faces its gravest dangers”.