ABSTRACT
Violent conflicts are damaging the landscape of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) , and research points to natural resource endowment and extraction as major causes. These factors contribute to conflicts stemming from environmental degradation, inequitable distribution of accrued royalties, and the exclusion of critical stakeholders from decision-making. This chapter analyzes the role of the African Union’s Panel of the Wise (PoW) in resolving natural resource-induced conflicts. Despite the PoW’s previous oversight of the natural resource sector as a major conflict trigger in SSA, its attention to this sector has declined, as evidenced by the ongoing natural resource-related conflicts in the region. This chapter identifies areas the PoW must address to curb these conflicts, including environmental issues. It recommends that the PoW increases its oversight of the natural resource sector to prevent further conflicts and save the continent from further devastation.
