Institutionalisation and conflict resolution The case of the Southern African Development Community

Abstract

This provides an analysis of how the challenge of institutionalisation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) affects the conflict management framework of the regional organisation in terms of security threats. The paper uses neofunctionalism and the Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) as its theoretical framework. It argues that the pursuit of the elite’s interests hamper the institutionalisation of conflict resolution mechanisms and regional integration. The study shows that organisational and operational problems afflict the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation (OPDSC). The study done for this article utilised qualitative content analysis and historical analysis in considering SADC’s initiatives to deal with security threats, particularly intra-state conflicts.