Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2015 in the subject Politics - Region: Africa, , course: Development and Governance, language: English, abstract: This paper seeks to show that institutional reforms are urgently needed in the area of security (physical security, human security & state security) especially as the general idea that the inability of most African states during their developmental stage to ensure national cohesion, as relevant as it might seem, is being overtaken by other emerging factors notably their inability to control boundaries and provide their citizens’ right to life of which freedom is a very important component. These perceived weaknesses of most States in Africa epitomize the concept of failed states. This paper proposes a merger between human security and state security as the contemporary security breaches are multidimensional and in a State’s bid to adequately roll out measures to tackle the latter, it is only rational that the situation will be analyzed holistically. To address this issue our article adopted the following problematic: «What could be done to ensure that the culture of peace, conflict prevention and resolution in the wake of the numerous security challenges lead to development and by extension sustainable development?»

This book explores and analyses the evolving African security paradigm in light of the multitude of diverse threats and challenges facing the continent and the international community. It challenges current thinking and traditional security constructs as woefully inadequate to meet the real security needs of African governments and their 1 billion plus citizens in an increasingly globalised and interdependent world. Through the lens of human security the authors’ examine the continent’s most pressing security challenges—from identity conflict and failing states to terrorism, disease, and environmental degradation—and in doing so provide a comprehensive look at the complexities of building peace and stability in modern-day Africa. Not only does the book critically assess the state of progress in addressing security challenges, but it presents new strategies and tools for more effectively engaging Africans and the global community in their common search for solutions.

Africas dynamic security environment is characterized by great diversityfrom conventional challenges such as insurgencies, resource and identity conflicts, and post-conflict stabilization to growing threats from piracy, narcotics trafficking, violent extremism, and organized crime taking root in urban slums, among others. This precarious environment jeopardizes security at the societal, community and individual levels. In a globalized and interconnected world, millions of people worldwide are affected by some form of human insecurity. Infectious and parasitic diseases annually kill millions. Internally displaced persons number millions, including 5 million in Sudan alone. In Zambia 1 million people in a population of 11 million are reported to be HIV-positive, a situation much worse in other countries. Potable water crisis looms almost everywhere. In this book Tatah Mentan points out the need to shift the focus away from a state-centric and military-strategic emphasis on security to an interdisciplinary and people-centric approach that embraces notions like global citizenship, empowerment and participation. The primary elements of economic, food, health, environment, personal, community and political security all comprise the broader understanding of human security in an intricately interconnected world.

Security sector reform (SSR) is key to ensuring sustainable democratisation and peacebuilding processes in the Horn of Africa. This monograph, edited by Len Le Roux and Yemane Kidane, compares SSR experiences in the region and highlights security reform challenges facing the Horn of Africa. SSR in the Horn should include both restructuring of security institutions and strengthening of political, judicial and civil society oversight capacities. It should also be based on a comprehensive, accurate analysis of overall regional and national contexts.

Environmental and human security issues are vital national security interests in African states because most citizens are engaged in daily struggles to survive. Chronic resource scarcities and degradations fuel individual struggles, along with political conflicts among different groups vying to control and benefit from scarce resources. Observers agree on importance of expanding national security in African states, but without consensus on optimal approach for studying or improving environmental and human security problems. Although the military is an influential institution in African countries, no work has addressed how, or if national and foreign militaries should be involved in promoting human and environmental security. This book combines ten original studies to discuss important non-traditional security issues facing countries located in each region of Africa. This volume reflects an assumption that one must have case-specific knowledge, use multidisciplinary and multi-level conceptual frameworks, and have appreciation of feasible and desirable public policies to understand and address complex non-traditional security concerns. Part One has three essays based on papers presented at 49th International Studies Association meeting in March 2008, plus two additional studies. Part Two focuses on understanding emerging transcontinental issues using interdisciplinary conceptual frameworks. Part Three has recommendations, remediation and conclusions via mini-case studies. The final chapter ties ten studies together and gives ideas about future role of US military forces in Africa non-traditional security areas--Publisher's description.

Eleven contributions explore security from a human rather than a state perspective and illustrate this by drawing on case material from sub-Saharan Africa. They offer an alternative to the realist, state centered, militaristic, male-dominated terrain of orthodox security and strategic studies, and study such issues as feminist perspectives, justice, economic genocide in Rwanda, security in the new world order, and the erosion of the state and the decline of race. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR