ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that what was obtained in North Africa before the onset of the Arab Spring in 2010 was negative peace as autocratic regimes in the region used high-handed methods in suppressing any form of opposition. It analyzes peace and security in North Africa seven years after the start of the Arab Spring. The chapter articulates a conceptual framework for understanding the interactions, prospects and challenges between peace and security and how they relate to the North African context before and after the Arab Spring. It examines the conflict triggers and provides recommendations on what could be done to overcome the violence and insecurity in North Africa. The chapter conceptualizes peace and security and analyses their interrelatedness. It presents the framework through which the obstacles to peace and security in North Africa could be understood. International effort has to complement local efforts in confronting, combating and preventing terrorism and other transnational organised criminal activities in the region.
