Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book looks at the evolution of economic regionalism in West Africa and the conceptual framework for analysis. It discusses the expansion of the economic regionalism into the security domain and the nature, dynamics and complexity of the emerging security regionalism in West Africa. The book links the developments within the West Africa sub-region with those of the transformation of the global economy and international political system by looking at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the 'new' regionalism. It sets the basis for the political economy analysis of Sierra Leone's ECOWAS regionalism. The book provides an interpretation of civil war in Sierra Leone and how ECOWAS regionalism has or has not contributed to fuelling the war. It shows the interface between the civil war in Sierra Leone, the political economy of diamonds, and trans-border regionalisation within context of ECOWAS regionalism.