ABSTRACT
Against the backdrop of Liberian and Sierra Leonean experiences and using the framework of South–South and triangular cooperation, this chapter examines the lessons, challenges, and prospects of South–South triangular co-operation framework (both multilateral and bilateral) for peacebuilding in West Africa. Specifically, it explores the following questions: (i) What are the political and economic constraints that hampered ECOWAS initiatives in peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction projects in West Africa? (ii) What are the lessons that can be derived from the Liberian and Sierra Leonean experiences of ECOWAS and triangular cooperation for the building of sustainable peace in West Africa? (iii) Can South–South triangular cooperation (multilateral and bilateral) be instituted as a permanent framework for peace-building in West Africa? The chapter argues that the capacity of regional initiatives was limited and over-stretched in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and could not undertake post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding without external support from the North. The triangular South–South cooperation between the UN, ECOWAS, the AU, France, the UK, and other stakeholders in Liberia and Sierra Leone has established a framework for peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction in West Africa. Despite the problems of coordination, logistics, and differences in mandate and culture, the cooperation between the UN and ECOWAS allowed each organisation to maximise its comparative advantage whilst working together to resolve the conflicts. Lessons learned in these missions have provided a blueprint for how the UN and regional organisations can work together (Kabila, 2011, 2–4).
