About the Book

The book was first published in 1999 mainly as a narrative of the complex dynamics of the Liberian civil war (1990-1997), and the tenuous conflict resolution efforts by ECOWAS and the international community. The second edition includes the second civil war (1999-2003) and reflects the contribution of the ECOWAS experiment in deepening understanding of the norms of conflict resolution globally. It contextualises the conflict within the broader discourse on the global sources of contemporary conflict, and sub-regional efforts to contain, transform and resolve them, towards the growth of ECOWAS as a pluralistic security community, with some yet-to-be-resolved challenges in changing the sub-region from a “zone of war” to a “zone of peace”, through meeting the expectations of peaceful change.

What they say about the Book

‘As I perused the manuscript of this book–The ECOMOG Experience–I appreciated even more, in retrospect, the tortuous path that ECOWAS treaded in its determination to deal effectively with the Liberian civil war through its novel concept of regional intervention.I, therefore, recommend it to those who are directly and indirectly involved in peacekeeping as a mechanism for conflict resolution anywhere but especially in Africa.’ – Amb James Victor Gbeho, Former Special Adviser

‘I have observed the marked difference in the depth of research for updating the content, the inclusion of additional key thematic issues and the qualitative nature of the analysis. These aspects, among others, convince me about the contribution of the book to knowledge and understanding of contemporary conflicts, and how they continue to inform the discourse around international conflict resolution.’ –  Mohamed Ibn Chambas, PhD, SRSG, UNOWAS & Former Conflict Adviser

‘The ECOMOG experience responded to, as well as presaged, two related and portentous developments for West Africa and the international community at large. First, were the new forms of military conflict between state and nonstate armed formations and, second, a coalition of fragile regional states banding together to salvage a member state at risk of military defeat and possible dismemberment by armed rebels (probably the first example of regional or ‘self-help’ peacekeeping). Both developments have since deepened in ways both positive and negative, again with vast implications for the sub-region and the international community. The revised version of this book seeks to track and help us to understand the nature and evolution of these contradictory developments better.’ – Prof Eboe Hutchful, African American Studies & Executive Secretary, ASSN

‘This revised edition of The ECOMOG Experience, by Colonel FB Aboagye, is a frame-shifting analysis and discussion of the role and experiences of the ECOMOG in the novel experiment towards building a security community in West Africa in the 1990s. Woven expertly on a canvass that connects theory, narrative and strategy, Festus draws inspiration from the ECOMOG experience to provoke a thought often lost in discussions about the relationship between integration and security community. Research seems silent on the intrinsic link between the two. This is a must-read book for policymakers, especially on peacebuilding (intervention), diplomats, military commanders, and students of integration studies.’ – Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, Dean, Academic Affairs, Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College

Read more about the launch…