Towards a Common Defence and Security Policy in the Southern African Development Community
Author: Hussein Solomon
Publisher:
Published: 2004
Total Pages: 260
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKFrom a historical, post-apartheid perspective, this book argues that 'apartheid destabilisation' in the Southern African sub-region, resulted in a particular form of regionalisation which favoured state security over human security, stressed solidarity, and regarded external intervention as inimical to its own interests. It argues that this stance was fundamentally anti-democratic, and that its legacy haunts the organs, SADC and the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security as the premier vehicles for security cooperation in the region. The book argues that a further legacy of apartheid destabilisation was to foster national sovereignties at the expense of a collective regional identity; the present challenge being for SADC to decide how best to move to considerations of regional security. It then addresses issues such as the need to develop a common military doctrine, command, training, and control. The book is divided into three parts. The first provides historical background to the current developments, outlining the challenges facing the region's policymakers and citizens. The second part focuses on the nuts and bolts of defence cooperation among the SADC states. The final part addresses the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, its institutional problems, and outlines possible mechanisms for correcting them. The contributors are mostly connected with the Africa Institute of South Africa and the University of Pretoria.