Peacebuilding as a strategy to address the security-development nexus in fragile states: a case study on the Central African Republic

Abstract

This dissertation explores how the practice of peacebuilding is used in fragile states to address national and international issues of development and security.

It begins by examining the policy and academic theories on the concepts of ‘fragile states’, ‘the security-development nexus’ since 1945, and ‘peacebuilding’.

The study observes that the three concepts are closely linked and reinforcing.

They each emerged at the end of the Cold War, and have since gained increased attention from the international community. Moreover, this study notes that all three concepts take the Global South as their referent. To analyse the relevancy of these theories, this dissertation critically checks them against a case study on the Central African Republic. This research finds that despite fifteen years of peacebuilding activities, peace, security and development continue to elude this fragile country. This dissertation concludes that theoretically, peacebuilding appears to be the perfect concept to address the nexus in fragile states.

However, based on the findings of its case study, it also concludes that in practice, and despite national and international actors’ best intentions, security and development issues in fragile countries can fall out of the realm of peacebuilding efforts.