Africa experiences extremely high levels of violence and conflict. Although the end of the Cold War has seen democratisation and peace agreements in Africa, it has also led to new types of violence and the rise of private military companies. This has called for new measures to promote security in the area.
This chapter from ‘Mercenaries: An African Security Dilemma’ examines violence and conflict in Africa, identifying the key issues to be the breakdown of the state and the abundance of small arms. These factors, amongst others, are used to identify options for addressing the cycle of violence.
Reasons for the African security dilemma are discussed:
- The state is seen as arising from a ‘security racket’, whereby protection to merchants was exchanged for revenues and other services. This leads to the issue of security being paradoxical: As rulers increase their own security, so is the power of their ‘strongmen’ increases and hence the threat to the rulers themselves also increases.
- With the inception of the Organisation of African Unity came the rejection of options for either regional collaboration or competitive state-building. Guarantees of good, accountable governance and the option of an internal African High Command were rejected, setting the foundations for state tensions.
- The hegemony of the state has been diminished following the end of Cold War patron-client relationships, the diversion of weapons from governments to private dealers and the mobilisation of civil society. This has triggered rivalry amongst warlords, visionaries, adventurers and ethno-nationalists to fill the power vacuum.
- New conflicts have been caused by control of resources, an increasingly criminal culture, unemployed soldiers, excess weaponry, the rise of private security companies, long-standing struggles, army insurrections, inter-state interventions and divisive external interventions.
Demilitarisation in Africa needs to be addressed on social, political, cultural and institutional levels. The two main factors in the African security crisis are the disintegration of the state and the supply of, and the demand for, weaponry. Thus, these are the two areas which should first receive attention.
- African state systems require processes of legitimacy, capacity-building and economic reform. Of particular significance are the alienated, susceptible and increasingly criminalised youth and the institutionalised links between militarism and masculinity.
- The concept of security needs to be redefined to that of human security, encompassing the provision of basic needs and services in a sustainable, secure, democratic and just environment. This also widens the realm of institutions involved in providing security to include the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as the military.
- An open dialogue between political parties, NGOs, civil society organisations and the military is required. Further, transparency, public participation, access to information and accountability to the public should be institutionalised in government.
- The army should be democratic and disciplined.
- Civil society must be empowered, particularly to include marginalised communities such as women and demobilised soldiers.
