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An attempt is herewith made at examining the contending dynamics shaping the causal relationship between the phenomenon of globalization and global terrorism in a rapidly evolving ‘New International Order’ (NIO). This phenomenon is largely responsible for shaping global insecurity as the terrorists’ strategy has no limit in its perfection of infamy - he thrives in acts that border on cannibalism and barbarity in the effort to manufacture fear, his greatest weapon. He kills, maims and destroys by deploying the instruments of dead, from the crudest to the most advanced weaponry in the arsenal of modern warfare. The paper thus contends that while terrorism is as old as the recorded history of human civilization, its contemporary variant is unique in the sense that it receives sustenance from the postmodern process that goes by the nomenclature ‘globalization’. It has been sustainably argued that terrorism has become more challenging with globalization, a condition that has birthed the new model of the ‘terror economy’ as the core motivation for terrorist conduct. This development is explicable only when we have the understanding that ‘what we are witnessing today, transcends the motivations of a terrorist group by mere ideology: ‘it is a clash between two economic systems - one dominant - the West, and the other insurgent - Islam’. Thus the recommendation that the fight against the phenomenon must be considered a top priority in the international security agenda of all the nations within the global space. To weave the argument contained herein, the document depended heavily on the qualitative method - content analysis of literary materials in the social and liberal arts traditions.

This paper attempts to unravel the multiple challenges defining the complex nature of relations between the security sector and the institutional framework within emerging democracies, in this instance, the legislature that is responsible for overseeing it. The article exposes a multiplicity of these challenges which include massive corruption, inexperience of parliamentarians, the extremely limited tenure of oversight functionaries and the secrecy laws, which conspire to make it difficult for law makers to work effectively. The perspectives of the article depended on a wide spectrum of security sector literatures to knit its arguments. Recommendations focused on suggesting that parliamentarians should endeavour to make effort aimed at overcoming the areas that constitute a challenge to their oversight responsibilities. In addition, the government should be seen to be vigorously pursuing an agenda that seeks to rid its institutions of corrupt officials whether in parliament or the security sector.

This paper has deliberated on approaches to fostering civil society engagements to strengthen China-Africa relations. The central argument being that these two civilizations can cash on the immense civil society potentials in both Africa and China in ensuring that this mutually beneficial engagement is sustained. This is important because by nature civil societies in both Africa and China have demonstrated commitment towards complementing government’s policies and programmes that are meant for the good of the generality of the entire population.

Africa is transiting through a trying phase in the history of its evolution as a major world civilization. These trying challenges are characterized by the extremes of hunger, the conditions of massive refugee flow and internally displaced persons occasioned by the gruesome phenomenon of violent conflicts and wars. The paper sets out essentially to establish the connection between the massive flow of small arms and light weapons (SALW) since the end of the Cold War and the equally catastrophic revolutionary ferment that characterized the Arab Spring across the fertile crescent and the Maghreb. The paper is sustainably driven by core normative paradigms covering the vast area of illicit armaments and their orchestrating influence in igniting violence. To weave the perspectives captured herein, the paper depended almost exclusively on the content analysis of existing literary materials in the humanist and social science traditions. Findings confirm that indeed small arms and light weapons abound within our case studies (Nigeria and the CAR), a phenomenon that both ignites and sustains violent conflicts within these previously peaceful national territorial entities. By way of recommendation the paper advocates the strengthening of existing legal and political protocols and the fortification of the borders of these countries if they are to remain virile and relevant in the international socio-economic and political order. Key words: Arms, conflicts, proliferation, war, insecurity, hunger, light weapon.