Western observers of African foreign and security policy formation are often perplexed by African regimes’ reactions to insurgencies: the actions of the latter are often read to be duplicitous and self-damaging—and thus irrational—by the former. This article suggests that one cause for this perception rests in the often incomplete appreciation for certain Global South states’ self-identities as “regional hegemons,” which compels them to make foreign and security policy decisions based on maintaining the semblance of power projection capabilities to those in their intended spheres of influence. Particularly, this article suggests that when Global South states possess the realist attributes of a hegemon (military power, economic strength, and a large population) but lack the liberal attributes of a hegemon (the legitimacy for rightful rule), they often undertake a process here termed “illusory hegemony” or foreign and security policy prevarication. Yet, this pursuit of illusory hegemony frequently has the opposite unintended effect of undermining, rather than improving, the perception of rightful rule. This article combines an analysis of current events with International Relations theory and foreign policymaking analysis to present a case study on how Nigeria’s pursuit of its grand strategy of Pax-Nigeriana is being retarded by Boko Haram and the Chibok kidnappings, specifically as a result of Nigeria’s projection of “illusory hegemony.”

中文翻译：

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尼日利亚与外交和安全政策制定中的“虚幻霸权”：尼日利亚和平与博科圣地的挑战

非洲外交和安全政策形成的西方观察者常常对非洲政权对叛乱的反应感到困惑：后者的行为经常被前者解读为两面派和自我伤害——因此是不合理的。本文认为，造成这种看法的一个原因在于，对某些全球南方国家作为“区域霸主”的自我认同的认识往往不完整，这迫使它们做出外交和安全政策决定那些在其预期影响范围内的人。特别地，本文认为，当全球南方国家拥有霸权的现实主义属性（军事力量、经济实力和庞大的人口）但缺乏霸权的自由属性（正当统治的合法性）时，他们经常在这里进行一个被称为“虚幻霸权”或外交和安全政策搪塞的过程。然而，这种对虚幻霸权的追求往往会产生相反的意想不到的效果，即破坏而不是改善对合法统治的看法。本文将时事分析与国际关系理论和外交政策制定分析相结合，提供了一个案例研究，说明尼日利亚如何因博科圣地和奇博克绑架而阻碍其实现和平的大战略，特别是由于尼日利亚的“虚幻霸权”的投射。对合法统治的看法。本文将时事分析与国际关系理论和外交政策制定分析相结合，提供了一个案例研究，说明尼日利亚如何因博科圣地和奇博克绑架而阻碍其实现和平的大战略，特别是由于尼日利亚的“虚幻霸权”的投射。对合法统治的看法。本文将时事分析与国际关系理论和外交政策制定分析相结合，提供了一个案例研究，说明尼日利亚如何因博科圣地和奇博克绑架事件而阻碍其实现和平的大战略，特别是由于尼日利亚的“虚幻霸权”的投射。