This special edition of European Scientific Journal aims to delve deeply into the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) by exploring not only the root causes of their displacement but also the complex landscape of humanitarian response and governance frameworks that are crucial for their protection and integration. We invite scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from various fields – including Political Science, International Relations, Human Rights Law, Peace and Conflict Studies, Development Studies, and Migration Studies – to contribute their insights and research. Through this special edition, we aspire to foster a comprehensive dialogue on the sustainable management of conflicts, the protection of IDPs, and the development of inclusive policies that ensure their rights are respected and upheld.

Guest Editors

• Dr. NGON Cyrille Léandres, PhD, Sciences Politiques Département de Science Politique, Université de Bamenda Faculté de droit et de science politique
• Pr NGAM Chia Confidence, Full Professor in Sociology, University of Bamenda, Vice-Dean of Research and Cooperation at the Faculty of Law and Political Science,

Overview of Special Edition

The African continent continues to grapple with a persistent and intensifying crisis of internal displacement, driven simultaneously by protracted conflicts, climate-induced disasters, state fragility, and governance challenges. According to the 2024 Global Report on Internal Displacement, there were 75.9 million people living in internal displacement globally as of the end of 2023, up from 71.1 million in 2022; 68.3 million people were living in internal displacement as a result of conflict and violence at the end of 2023. This figure continues to rise, as people forced to flee by disasters, conflict or violence join those who have been living in displacement for years or even decades and have not yet achieved a durable solution. Sub-Saharan Africa, which hosts 46 per cent of the world’s IDPs, was again the region most affected by internal displacement in 2023.

More specifically, various sources report on mass-displacement due to violence and insecurity caused by the crisis in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West (Afrique XXI, 17 July 2023; International Crisis Group, 31 March 2023, p. 1; Gen Cap, July 2022, p. 15). In more specific terms, UNHCR reported on 638.421 internally displaced persons in the Anglophone regions as of 30 September 2023 (UNHCR, last updated 30 September 2023). As of July 2023, Amnesty International reported on additional “87,000 people [being displaced] to neighbouring Nigeria, representing 20% of the total population of the two Anglophone regions” (AI, July 2023, p. 12).

An “internal displacement” refers to each new forced movement of person within the borders of their country recorded during the year. Also, Repeated displacement is when someone is forced to move more than once. Some people become displaced a number of times before finding a solution to their displacement. Over the past decade, countries that recorded conflict displacement often also recorded disaster displacement. This combination complicates efforts to address the immediate needs of those affected and help them achieve durable solutions. Indeed, it is not unusual for cycles of conflict and disaster to emerge.

Actually, the ongoing conflicts in Africa present multifaceted challenges that significantly impact the continent's stability and development. These conflicts are often fuelled by a combination of governance failures, competition over scarce natural and economic resources, ethnic tensions, and the ramifications of external interventions. As a result, millions of individuals have been forcibly displaced, leading to a burgeoning population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who face myriad socio-political, economic, and legal challenges.

This special edition aims to delve deeply into the plight of IDPs by exploring not only the root causes of their displacement but also the complex landscape of humanitarian response and governance frameworks that are crucial for their protection and integration. We invite scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from various fields – including Political Science, International Relations, Human Rights Law, Peace and Conflict Studies, Development Studies, and Migration Studies – to contribute their insights and research.

Through this special edition, we aspire to foster a comprehensive dialogue on the sustainable management of conflicts, the protection of IDPs, and the development of inclusive policies that ensure their rights are respected and upheld. It is important trough the present call, to analyse how legal norms, governance structures, bureaucratic practices, and power relations shape the protection, management, and lived experiences of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa.  Also, we encourage contributors to explain how institutional incentives, norms, and legacies influence state behaviour, humanitarian coordination, policy implementation, and the persistent gaps between international commitments such as the Kampala Convention and actual practices on the ground (Hall & Taylor, 1996; March & Olsen, 1984, 1989). This general approach, is particularly relevant for displacement contexts where fragmented state capacity, securitized environments, and overlapping governance arrangements determine access to services, humanitarian action, and prospects for durable solutions. By grounding this Special Edition in this approach, we emphasise that displacement is not merely a humanitarian crisis but fundamentally a governance and institutional crisis, shaped by the strengths, weaknesses, and interactions of formal and informal institutions at local, national, and international levels. The findings and discussions generated from this edition will not only contribute to academic discourse but also inform practitioners and policymakers on effective strategies for addressing the growing challenges of displacement in Africa and beyond.

Papers in the following main themes are welcomed:

• Legal and Policy Frameworks for the Protection of IDPs: Analyzing existing legal instruments and policies while proposing reforms necessary to address the unique rights and needs of IDPs.
• Diplomacy, Humanitarian Responses, and International Interventions: Examining the role of international organizations, NGOs, and state actors in providing effective humanitarian assistance and promoting durable solutions for IDPs.
• Socioeconomic Challenges and Livelihood Strategies for IDPs: Investigating how displacement affects the economic well-being of IDPs and exploring innovative livelihood approaches that can enhance their resilience and self-sufficiency.
• Local Integration/reinstallation, Return, and Durable Solutions: Assessing the conditions under which IDPs can safely return home or integrate into host communities, along with the social, political, and economic implications of durable solutions.
• Security Concerns and the Role of Government and Civil Society: Understanding the security dynamics surrounding IDPs and evaluating the collaboration between government entities and civil society in addressing their needs

Submissions

Submit your paper as a Microsoft Word document to contact@eujournal.org and ncyrilleleandres@hotmail.fr 

Timeframe:

New submission dateline: 28 Novembre 2025

• First decision Peer Review: 17 décembre 2025
• Revisions Due   31 décembre, 2025
• Final Decision Due  10 janvier 2026
• Date de publication: 20 janvier 2026 

Language: English & French

Peer Review Procedure: Single-blind.

Publication Fee: The publication fee is 97 EUR per accepted paper.

Types of Manuscripts Accepted for Review:

• Research Articles (Empirical or Theoretical)
• Case Studies
• Policy Analyses
• Comparative Studies
• Legal insights

Complete and fully articles must include the article title, the authors’s full name(s) and institutional affiliation, and a 250-word abstract with a maximum of five keywords; the total length, including bibliography should not exceed 25 pages. Follow the link for further guidelines: https://eujournal.org/files/journals/1/documents/ESJ.Author.Guidelines.pdf

Editorial Office

• Dr. Robert W. McGee, Editor in Chief, Fayetteville State University, USA
• Dr. John B. Strait, Editor in Chief, ESJ Humanities, Sam Houston State University, USA
• Dr. Brian Sloboda, Editor in Chief, ESJ Social Sciences, University of Maryland, USA
• Dr. Franca Daniele, Editor in Chief, ESJ Natural/Life/Medical Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
• Dr. Jovan Shopovski, Managing Editor, European Scientific Institute, ESI
• Dr. Evelio Velis, Associate Editor, Barry University, United States
• Dr. Jacques de Vos Malan, Advisory Editor, University of Melbourne, Australia
• Dr. Daniel B. Hier, Advisory Editor, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA

References

Abebe, Allehone. (2022). “Interstate Dialogue on Internal Displacement: Lessons from Regional Platforms in Africa”. Research Briefing Paper, August.

Adeola, Romola. (2021). National Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa: Beyond Rhetoric. Switzerland: Spring Nature. AG.

Balzacq, Thierry. (2011). Securitization Theory. How Security Problems Emerge and Dissolve, London. Routledge.

Eweka, Osgioduwa and Olusengun, T O. (2016). Management of internally displaced persons in Africa: Comparing Nigeria and Cameroon. Vol. 10. No. 40. January.

Hall, P. A., & Taylor, R. C. R. (1996). Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms. Political Studies. XLIV. p. 936-957.

Hicke, M C. (2001). Protection of Internally Displaced Persons affected by Armed Conflict: Concept and Challenges. Vol. 83. No. 843. September.

Kampala Convention. (2009). African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa.

NRC. (2024). Global Report on Internal Displacement 2024.

Orchar, Phil. (2019). Protecting the Internally Displaced: Rhetoric and Reality. London: Routledge.

www.chrda.org, Center for human rights and democracy in Africa, Buea, Fako Division, 3rd June 2019. Accessed on 11 November 2023 at 3:28 am.

www.internaldisplacement.org, guiding principles on internal displacement. United Nations High Commission for Refugees, 1998. Accessed on 16 June 2023 2:43 am