Conflict and poverty in Southern Africa: a critical appraisal of the Southern African Development Community’s conflict management and poverty alleviation mandate

The authors of this chapter undertake a critical appraisal of the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) normative and institutional frameworks for conflict prevention and management in support of promoting conducive environments for economic development and poverty eradication. Based on the widely accepted connection between poverty and conflict, the authors outline the state of affairs in the region, focusing on member states that have been or are currently embroiled in conflict and how this has impacted their economies. Accepting the characterization of SADC as a security community, the authors examine the organization’s implementation of its peace and security mandate, particularly in the areas of military intervention and preventive diplomacy. This is followed by a critical assessment of how the organization’s interventions impacted economic performance in the respective countries. Finally, the authors acknowledge SADC’s poverty alleviation policy framework and argue for a human security approach that places this at the core of the organization’s programmes and approach to peace and security in the region.