Willett, Susan (2005) New Barbarians at the Gate: Losing the Liberal Peace in Africa. Review of African Political Economy 32 (106) pp.569-594

Abstract: Within contemporary liberal peace discourse, poverty and underdevelopment
are being constructed as ‘new threats’ that feed conflict and terrorism. This
perception has encouraged a growing convergence between the security and
development policies of the major donors. However, in Africa, where the need
to simultaneously tackle conflict and underdevelopment is most pressing, the
global institutions have failed to acknowledge that the neo-liberal policies that
they pursue have been instrumental in structuring the domestic political and
economic tensions that have contributed to violent conflict. Moreover, the
current preoccupation with the war on terror has encouraged the co-option
of development resources for security functions resulting in the incremental
securitisation of development policies. Regardless of its expanding base and
the process of mission creep, the liberal peace complex has failed to secure
sustainable peace in Africa. Into the vacuum created by failure, the ‘new
barbarian’ agenda that underpins the ‘war on terror’ has surreptitiously
moved, expanding its reach and its wake of pillage and destruction.

Susan Willett, formerly Director of the Cost of Disarmament Programme at the
United Nations Institute of Disarmament Research is currently an independent
development and security analyst; e-mail: swillett@easynet.co.uk.