The Handbook of African Defence and Armed Forces
Marco Wyss editor Evert Kleynhans editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:1st Apr '25
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
The Handbook of African Defence and Armed Forces provides the first in-depth and multifaceted analysis of the evolution and current state of national defence policies, strategies, doctrines, capabilities, security challenges, and strategic responses of African states and their armed forces. Geographically, these aspects are investigated at the national, sub-regional, and regional levels. Chronologically, they are analysed against the backdrop of the 'superpower withdrawal' from the continent in the 1990s, and the so-called 'New Scramble for Africa', which has seen a crescendo of renewed great power interest in the continent's resources, as well as its strategic role, location, and relevance since the 2000s. The book takes a bottom-up and African-centric approach, and is organized around five key themes: i) the differing security outlooks and defence policies of African powers within the region and the different sub-regions; ii) the strategies, doctrines, transformation, and employment of African armed forces; iii) the relationship between African armed forces with sub-regional, regional, and international organizations; iv) the challenges that African states and their armed forces have been facing and their strategic responses; and v) the position of African perspectives and agency in the context of continental and international security and defence. Understanding African security and defence, especially in terms of each individual nation's ability to contribute to peacekeeping operations, counterterrorism, border security, and internal security requires a focus on the national level of armed forces and defence policies; this in turns sheds light on sub-regional and regional divergences, challenges, and cooperation. Based on this framework, the chapters in this volume offer comprehensive African perspectives on African and international security and defence, and in doing so show the agency of the continent's countries and armed forces in International Security and Relations.
A critical addition to an understudied topic, the Handbook explores Post—Cold War African armed forces and security strategies during a period of renewed great power interest in the continent. Unlike earlier studies, which have focused on external actors and international, regional, and sub-regional organisations, the Handbook adopts an African-centric approach that emphasizes African perspectives and agency from the bottom up. The case studies, authored by both African and international experts, include data at the local and national levels from all regions of the continent and present new information that must be understood if African defence and security concerns are to be addressed successfully. * Elizabeth Schmidt, Professor Emerita of History, Loyola University Maryland *
A novel and substantial work that is intellectually stimulating for scholars of African security and a real Handbook for policy practitioners working on Africa. This groundbreaking handbook redirects us back to the agency of African armed forces, not only laying out the security issues and systems in Africa, but providing the right frames and analyses to properly understand African armed forces as real actors in African security and governance matters. Equally important is the diversity of contributors comprised of renowned and emerging scholars as well as policy experts on Africa. It is an essential resource for scholars and practitioners, offering a refreshing perspective for those with deep knowledge of African security and governance, and a rich and insightful guide for those new to Africa. * Abu Bakarr Bah, Presidential Research Professor of Sociology, Northern Illinois University *
The nature, organization, and doctrine of African armed forces have received scant attention from scholars, but rapidly changing geopolitical dynamics and an increasingly complex security landscape mean that understanding Africa's armed forces has never been more important. This volume thus fills a critical gap in the literature, bringing together an impressive array of over 50 specialists from Africa and the Global North to provide a comprehensive overview of the historical, political, and economic forces that shape Africa's armed forces and its diverse military and defence systems. The breadth of knowledge encapsulated here makes it a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Africa's military structures, security challenges, and its role in international peace and security. * Tony Chafer, Emeritus Professor of West African and French Studies, University of Portsmouth *
ISBN: 9780198884668
Dimensions: 255mm x 180mm x 52mm
Weight: 1678g
896 pages