Secession and Separatist Conflicts in Postcolonial Africa
Secession and Separatist Conflicts in Postcolonial Africa

Author: Charles G. Thomas

Publisher: ISSN

Published: 2020-06-15

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 9781773851266

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Wars fought for political separation have become omnipresent in post-colonial Africa. From the division of Sudan, to the continued fragmentation of Somalia, and the protracted struggles of Cabinda and Azawad, conflict over seccession and separation continues to the present day. This is the first single volume to examine the historical arc of secession and secessionist conflict across sub-Saharan Africa. Paying particular attention to the development of secessionist conflicts and their evolving goals, Secession and Separatist Conflicts in Postcolonial Africa draws on case studies and rigorous research to examine three waves of secessionist movements, themselves defined by international conflict and change. Using detailed case studies, the authors offer a framework to understand how secession and separation occur, how these are influenced by both preceding movements and global political trends, and how their ongoing legacies continue to shape African regional politics. Deeply engaging and thoroughly researched, this book presents a nuanced and important and important new overview of African separatist and secessionist conflicts. It addresses the structures, goals, and underlying influences of these movements within a broader global context to impart a rich understanding of why these conflicts are waged, and how they succeed or fail.

The Causes of Instability in Nigeria and Implications for the United States
The Causes of Instability in Nigeria and Implications for the United States

Author: Clarence J. Bouchat

Publisher: Army War College Press

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13:

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The political economy problems of Nigeria, the root cause for ethnic, religious, political and economic strife, can be in part addressed indirectly through focused contributions by the U.S. military, especially if regionally aligned units are more thoroughly employed.

The Sahel Crisis and the Need for International Support
The Sahel Crisis and the Need for International Support

Author: Morten Bøås

Publisher:

Published: 2019-10-30

Total Pages: 56

ISBN-13: 9789171068590

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The crisis in the Sahel is serious and multidimensional, and if it continues unabated it could have consequences far beyond the region. As the states of the region are too poor and weak to deal with this on their own, international support is needed. the current international emphasis on the G5 Sahel should change from a focus on more 'boots on the ground' to support for the development agenda of this embryonic international organisation. The Sahel needs a functioning regional framework and the G5 Sahel has some potential; but the only way to harvest this potential is to help fine-tune it to address the underlying causes of conflict. Improving security conditions in the Sahel is absolutely essential; but neither the inhabitants of the region nor the external stakeholders will find security exclusively through military means. The correct priorities must be set. And at the heart of this there must be an improvement in living conditions and a new system of governance that makes it much less possible for jihadist insurgents to appropriate local land-rights conflicts.

Street Gangs
Street Gangs

Author: Max G. Manwaring

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13:

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The primary thrust of the monograph is to explain the linkage of contemporary criminal street gangs (that is, the gang phenomenon or third generation gangs) to insurgency in terms f the instability it wreaks upon government and the concomitant challenge to state sovereignty. Although there are differences between gangs and insurgents regarding motives and modes of operations, this linkage infers that gang phenomena are mutated forms of urban insurgency. In these terms, these "new" nonstate actors must eventually seize political power in order to guarantee the freedom of action and the commercial environment they want. The common denominator that clearly links the gang phenomenon to insurgency is that the third generation gangs' and insurgents' ultimate objective is to depose or control the governments of targeted countries. As a consequence, the "Duck Analogy" applies. Third generation gangs look like ducks, walk like ducks, and act like ducks - a peculiar breed, but ducks nevertheless! This monograph concludes with recommendations for the United States and other countries to focus security and assistance responses at the strategic level. The intent is to help leaders achieve strategic clarity and operate more effectively in the complex politically dominated, contemporary global security arena.

The Political Foundations of the Tuareg Insurgency in Mali
The Political Foundations of the Tuareg Insurgency in Mali

Author: Naval Postgraduate School

Publisher:

Published: 2019-06

Total Pages: 86

ISBN-13: 9781695498723

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The Tuareg insurgency in Mali has its roots in the colonial period. However, the insurgency worsened when Mali became independent in 1960. This insurgency was characterized by four main periods. The first rebellion came in 1963, the second rebellion in 1990, the third rebellion came in 1996, and the last one was in 2012, where the Tuaregs again attacked the Malian troops. This thesis argues that developmental policies and military engagement in the northern region were the most significant factors that contributed to the recurrence of the Tuareg insurgency in Mali. However, there are other minor factors, such as the economic difficulties, the emergence of drug trafficking, the weak governance, the decentralization, social collapse, and regional dynamics, that also contributed to the resurgence of the conflict. This thesis stresses that domestic management of the crisis played a more significant role than the external factors. It is crucial for the Mali government to establish secure borders and a secure internal environment in the northern region before instituting any developmental policies. For this reason, the Malian state needs a strong army to prevent malicious actors from entering the region and obstructing the objective of peace. Also, it needs to always pursue and sign realistic agreements.

What is Next for Mali?
What is Next for Mali?

Author: Dona J. Stewart

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 108

ISBN-13:

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In March 2012, the government of Mali, one of the most touted symbols of Africa's democratic potential, fell in a military-executed coup. At the same time, a 4-decades old rebellion among Tuaregs seeking autonomy or independence reached new heights fueled by weapons from Libya and the belief that the Arab Spring could extend to northern Mali. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and their allies were quick to capitalize on the increasing chaos in a territory characterized by lack of government control and poverty and seized the major cities in the north. While French-led military intervention restored security to cities in the north, the underlying social, economic and political issues of the crisis remain.

Political and Economic Foundations in Global Studies
Political and Economic Foundations in Global Studies

Author: Michael Anderson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-01-29

Total Pages: 377

ISBN-13: 1317509676

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Political and Economic Foundations in Global Studies provides an innovative introductory examination of the global forces shaping the world today, seen through political and economic lenses. Along with its companion, Social and Cultural Foundations in Global Studies, the book exposes students to the historical contours of, and the key concepts and processes that underlie, the interconnections among individuals, societies, organizations, and governments. As in the rest of Routledge’s Global Studies series, the Foundations books employ a two-part strategy: conceptual underpinnings explored in the first part are enlivened by case studies in the second. Special features magnify the utility of the text: • Text boxes are employed to expand and emphasize specific material: they are used to open up the coverage to related topics or to call attention to especially critical material, such as historical milestones or key vocabulary. • Resource boxes offer links that point readers to sources—mostly online—on the topics discussed and establish a rich archive of additional material for readers to draw on. • At the same time, back-of-chapter References and Further Research lists help students to trace the material used by authors or to follow more general leads relating to the topics covered in the chapters. • Images highlight specific details of the case studies, helping to bring the subjects alive.

Transatlantic Security from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa
Transatlantic Security from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa

Author: Riccardo Alcaro

Publisher: Edizioni Nuova Cultura

Published: 2014-05-21

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13: 8868122731

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As the so-called Arab Spring has slid into political uncertainty, lingering insecurity and civil conflict, European and American initial enthusiasm for anti-authoritarian protests has given way to growing concerns that revolutionary turmoil in North Africa may in fact have exposed the West to new risks. Critical in cementing this conviction has been the realisation that developments originated from Arab Mediterranean countries and spread to the Sahel have now such a potential to affect Western security and interests as to warrant even military intervention, as France’s operation in Mali attests. EU and US involvement in fighting piracy off the Horn of Africa had already laid bare the nexus between their security interests and protracted crises in sub-Saharan Africa. But the new centrality acquired by the Sahel after the Arab uprisings – particularly after Libya’s civil war – has elevated this nexus to a new, larger dimension. The centre of gravity of Europe’s security may be swinging to Africa, encompassing a wide portion of the continental landmass extending south of Mediterranean coastal states. The recrudescence of the terrorist threat from Mali to Algeria might pave the way to an American pivot to Africa, thus requiring fresh thinking on how the European Union and the United States can better collaborate with each other and with relevant regional actors.