ABSTRACT With declining global fish stocks, there is a growing literature on the negative impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. While undoubtedly damaging, there is increasing analysis on the wider impact of IUU fishing, without sufficient evidence to support causal claims. This is particularly evident in the links between IUU fishing and piracy. IUU fishing was blamed for the

Published in African Security Review (Vol. 31, No. 2, 2022)

ABSTRACT Societies faced with authoritarian rule or conflict usually adopt different paths to peace. The course adopted by each community to guarantee stability determines the extent to which the sustainability of the peace can be assured. Every attempt to pacify a society should aim to prevent a relapse to conflict or authoritarian rule while considering the damage caused and sorting out measures

ABSTRACT The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) in Zimbabwe is potentially a crucial architect of coordinated and integrated infrastructure for peace (I4P). But it is not without its critics and sceptics. The Commission is the institutional centrepiece of government’s post-conflict justice, peace, healing and reconciliation programme. It is mandated with developing national and sub-national

ABSTRACT Youth in fragile and conflict-ridden spaces are often constructed as violent and restless subjects who dismember the social fabric of society. Yet, many young people are using non-violent tactics and strategies to articulate their grievances and frustrations with the state of their economies. Young people in such decaying economies live under precarious and uncertain existential conditions

Published in African Security Review (Vol. 31, No. 2, 2022)

ABSTRACT In this study, we adopted the negotiation management model (NMM) and the elaborated social identity model (ESIM) to assess and match with global best practices the conduct of personnel of the Nigerian Police Force during the End SARS protest. We used the descriptive mixed-method research design to answer the research questions after taking stock of some achievements recorded by SARS and critical

ABSTRACT In recent times, the concept of soft power has emerged as one of the most important terms in international relations. It has been applied to various aspects of statecraft from democracy promotion to peace-making, cultural diplomacy, economic diplomacy, counter-terrorism and disaster management, to name but a few. However, there is a dearth of literature on the political economy of soft power

ABSTRACT Using Social Movement Theory (SMT) as a methodological framework and explicitly employing the core SMT concepts of political opportunism and framing, this paper seeks to examine Boko Haram's use of discourse in activism. As a rarely employed research method within the Boko Haram literature, SMT holds explanatory power around the movement's approach to transforming motivation potential into

ABSTRACT Ten years after the last large scale piracy attacks in the Western Indian Ocean, other maritime crimes such as illicit fishing and maritime smuggling have emerged. The spill over of conflicts in Yemen and Mozambique and maritime grey-zone activities have also become major maritime security issues. Yet, perhaps the most worrying – though largely underappreciated – trend is the surge of naval

(2022). A call for innovative security strategies in the face of failing governance. African Security Review: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 1-2.

ABSTRACT This article analyses the roles of key liberation war actors in shaping the new security regime in Zimbabwe. This is done through analysing the trajectory of the security sector reforms (SSR) and the missed opportunities for transformation since 1980. The post 1980 security establishment was dominated by the logistical posturing of the liberation war security structures. This allowed for the

ABSTRACT Algerian leadership was once instrumental in organising and fomenting jihad in North Africa and the Sahel. Alongside leadership decapitations, counter-terrorism crackdowns, and a ‘Sahelian shift’ following the influx of Sahelian members, Algerian influence has since significantly waned. Today, Algerian influence is mainly seen in cautionary tales against extremism and infighting. In contrast

ABSTRACT The focus of this study is on the effect of military (un)professionalism on civil-military relations and citizens’ security in Nigeria. To sketch the context, the article provides a brief background on the nature of armed conflict, which necessitated the deployment of the military in internal operations. Following this is a brief description of the extent and nature of military abuse, which

ABSTRACT Academic literature gave less emphasis to the causes of insecurity of the society in Africa, and the role of the indigenous institutions to minimise the insecurity problems. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the sources of insecurity and the roles of the afersata (indigenous communal court) in solving insecurity problems in Ethiopia focusing on the Semen and Begemider Governorate

ABSTRACT In this article, we examine the growth of ethnopolitical divisions in Ethiopia. Using recently released Afrobarometer data and comparing current levels of ethnonational identity with previous data released in 2013, we find an erosion in support for a national Ethiopian identity, and rapidly growing ethnonational identities among Oromo and Tigrayan respondents, but not Amhara. This suggests

ABSTRACT The ongoing security crisis in Mozambique reveals the limitations of the mainstream statist approach to security promotion. Whenever there is social conflict or unrest, state authorities instinctively and routinely rely on military means to deal with it. However, this approach disregards the root causes of the problem, which are often the internal social, political and economic triggers of

(2021). Security the African way: From indigenous conflict resolution to state response. African Security Review: Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 417-417.

ABSTRACT This study explores the drivers of security outcome convergence for 51 African countries spanning the period from 2000 to 2018. Phillips and Sul convergence club and system generalised method of moments (SGMM) estimation techniques were applied. The main findings suggest security outcome convergence, and this implies that African countries are characterised by similar factors (economic, developmental

(2022). Peacebuilding in Contemporary Africa: In Search of Alternative Strategies. African Security Review: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 115-119.

ABSTRACT The outbreak of COVID-19 has shifted from an urgent health issue to a major security threat requiring emergency measures that go beyond normal policies. Many African governments have exploited this pandemic as a deadly threat facing both the state and society to justify unprecedented precautionary measures that restrict people’s freedoms. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyse the current

ABSTRACT This article examines how the securitisation of COVID-19 helped the ZANU-PF government to consolidate power. It uses data collected from various document sources such as news outlets, social media platforms, and websites. Additionally, the researchers conducted informal interviews with Zimbabweans through social networking platforms. The study found that the measures the government (securitising

ABSTRACT Africa’s security landscape has been experiencing securitised-development practices through counterterrorism activities from donor countries engaged in the ‘Global War on Terror’ (GWOT). While some African governments continue to ‘benefit’ from the securitised-development agenda, critiques argue that there are human rights concerns that are connected to the practice of securitised-development

ABSTRACT Security in the Sahel region has traditionally been studied through a realist prism, emphasising military concerns and the pre-eminent influence of great powers in shaping local security concerns. The paper reviews the securitisation initiatives in Africa's Sahel. It specifically explores Buzan and Waever's ‘securitisation' framework to re-evaluate securitising discourse and the contemporary

ABSTRACT The emergence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in November 2019 has nearly brought the world to a halt. Recording her first COVID-19 case on 27 February 2020, the Nigerian government’s default response to the pandemic was to lock down major parts of the country, among other measures. Despite the nationwide lockdown, inter-state travel continued unabated as many travellers bribed their way

ABSTRACT The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic at the onset of the year 2020 brought unprecedented suffering to humanity. Economic activities in virtually all nations across the globe were brought to a shuddering halt, with the third world suffering the worst effects on the economic front. The health security of nations across the globe was shaken, as nations came to terms with the surging health

ABSTRACT Protecting civilians has been the primary raison d’être of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) since civil war erupted in late 2013. Since then, UN efforts to protect vulnerable civilians have focused on a handful of so-called protection of civilians (PoC) sites. While they have unquestionably saved lives, the PoC sites have also absorbed the lion’s share of mission resources, severely

ABSTRACT Micro-disarmament, which refers to the removal of small arms and light weapons (SALW) from the civilian population, is one of the recent international policy frameworks through which the global challenge of illicit gun proliferation has been approached. Although Africa still grapples with this challenge, a number of successful micro-disarmament programmes have been implemented from which important

(2021). The dividing line between human resilience and militarised state security. African Security Review: Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 137-138.

ABSTRACT After decades of diplomatic disengagement from Africa, Russia is making a strong bid to facilitate bilateral relations with more African states. Many analysts regard this as an attempt to project power and influence outside of Russia's immediate borders in Eastern Europe and to whittle down the West's influence in Africa. The deepening ties between Russia and African states have led to the

ABSTRACT Insurgency has gained prominence in Africa. It is usually associated with marginalisation, poverty, and inequality and often has religious links and bases. Insurgency frequently originates in communities situated along the borders of a country but soon spreads to neighbouring countries due to the poor response from the concerned state. The literature reveals that when state institutions ignore

ABSTRACT Despite the availability of numerous studies on the issue of indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms, the process and ritual practices have not been explored in detail. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the process and ritual practices during conflict resolution by shimgelina. To achieve these objectives, the study involved fourteen purposely selected shimageles and five conflicting

ABSTRACT The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was founded exclusively to focus on economic integration. However, in 1976, the Nigerian government proposed the adoption of a non-aggression protocol to regulate issues of regional collective security. The proposal was accepted in principle and the secretariat was tasked to formulate policy prescriptions for adoption of the decision organs

ABSTRACT Few days after Nigeria attained the sexagenarian status on October 1, 2020, the country has once again become a subject of unusual discourse both home and abroad. This is due to the protests by disgruntled youths against the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad; a unit of the Nigeria Police Force, which has been accused of brutality, human rights violation, sexual abuse, torture, and

In this edition, as in others, we focus on some persisting trends that emphasise the gravity of security challenges in Africa, but also succeed in showcasing the successes of some security mechanisms that are causes of optimism and sources of good practices. The current security situation in Africa continues to be characterised by instability in some spaces with several threats to socio-economic development

ABSTRACT This article examines the concept of genocide denial as a security threat within the case study of Rwanda. Rwanda experienced the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi when an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were butchered by extremists within a one-hundred-day period. Since the ending the genocide the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) continues to dominate the post-genocide nation's

ABSTRACT This study examines the cause-and-effect relationship between military expenditure, security outcome and industrialisation for a panel of 35 African countries spanning from 1990 to 2015. We employed: (i) the Pairwise Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test; and (ii) the newly developed panel VAR in generalised method of moment (GMM) estimation approach was applied to determine what magnitude

ABSTRACT The ‘coloniality’, porosity, and ‘ungovernability’ of borders in West Africa, have engendered undocumented migration, in which most people engage to visit their kin and for economic reasons such as herding, farming, fishing, hunting, and trading. This occurs concurrently with human smuggling, human trafficking, gun-running, terrorism, and money laundering. The rise in these cross-border criminal

ABSTRACT Ethnic and land conflicts have recently gained significance in peace and conflict resolution. It is imperative to understand both endogenous and exogenous factors and their relations towards the institutional, democratic, and state-building process to mediate the risks of class and land conflicts. This paper attempts to identify historical relations of land and class structure by analysing

ABSTRACT This study explored whether the African Union’s peace operations driven by the ‘African solutions’ approach is enough or not. To bear evidence, this study uses the AU’s intervention in Darfur to interrogate the efficacy of the ‘African solutions’. The reason for selecting the case of Darfur is motivated due to the following two critical rationales. In the first place, this state has faced

ABSTRACT In March 2009, President Marc Ravalomanana of the Island of Madagascar was ousted during a coup d’état led by the Mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, and his supporters. After the coup, Ravalomanana and his family fled to South Africa where they remained in exile from 2009 to 2014. To restore constitutional order in Madagascar, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in July

(2021). Gathering and processing complex conflict data for violence prevention policies and strategies. African Security Review: Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 1-2.

ABSTRACT Having suffered one of the worst genocides in recorded history, Rwanda today is a country still striving to maintain the equilibrium between the perpetrators and the survivors. After decades of tension between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority, during April to July 1994 an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 people were slaughtered in mass atrocities, with many more displaced from their homes

ABSTRACT The involvement of the air force in a series of Joint Task Force (JTF) arrangements, which were initiated to neutralise various security threats, accounted for a growing record of air campaigns in Nigeria. Although there is growing public attention for airpower in Nigeria, its operational relevance and associated concerns have received inadequate academic attention. Accordingly, the understanding

ABSTRACT The advent of the social media in the past decade has revolutionised communication, overshadowing the traditional ways of communication. Despite its convenience, social media is being used as a conduit for criminal activities. Notwithstanding its dark side, social media has also been utilised in enhancing national security. This study explores the various ways in which social media has been

ABSTRACT This article argues the fallout between Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his predecessor Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama is demonstration of the need for the country to reform its political system to accommodate direct election of the president. This would lessen seeds for political instability in the future. The central argument in the paper is that the system of ‘automatic

ABSTRACT Despite the ongoing conflict between farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria, researchers are yet to substantially focus attention on ways of empowering victims of the conflict through skills acquisition. This study attempts to fill this gap by assessing the effectiveness of theatre for development as a communication intervention strategy for positively influencing the perceptions, knowledge and behavioural

(2020). Securing a future of uncertainty. African Security Review: Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 297-298.

ABSTRACT The article evaluates the current worsening security situation in Burkina Faso and ties it to a lack of state-building in the country. Based on Tilly's approach to state-building, it, consequently, draws a set of recommendations aiming to strengthen the effectiveness of Burkinabe security forces as a primary step to stop the current wave of violence and establish more stable state institutions

ABSTRACT Humanitarian intervention has undergone several changes since the Second World War and the justifications behind it are continually expanding and being reshaped as a result of the interventions performed to resolve the conflicts in Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Sudan and Kosovo, as well as a result of the emerging post-9/11 paradigm. Humanitarian intervention, while open to many different definitions

Prior to May 2016, the relatively unknown community of Vuwani in the Limpopo Province of South Africa had hardly been prone to violent protests and destruction of public property. This changed when...

Water-related conflict chronology can be grouped around two broad sets of ideas: On the one hand is material-related conflict such as water stress and under-development; while on the other is manag...

ABSTRACT Energy plays critical direct and indirect roles in the livelihoods of human beings. Despite its relevance, the literature highlights that a majority of rural households are energy insecure and very much rely on unclean energy sources that compromise their health. Against this background, this paper estimates the determinants of energy security at the household level based on evidence from

ABSTRACT This article reflects on community-based participation to reduce violent crimes in South Africa. Despite many policing strategies being developed and implemented over the years to reduce violent crimes in South Africa, these crimes are still on the increase. Against this background, the researcher reflects on some of the perceptions of violent crimes and policing that erode public confidence

ABSTRACT The conflict that has embroiled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for decades has been one of the most vexing problems in the political history of Africa and the larger international community. The grave clashes predominantly in the eastern parts of the country have occasioned various challenges for the state and the world at large, chief among them a record of the internally displaced

ABSTRACT What role does religion play in understanding the outbreak of civil war? The purpose of this study is to offer an alternative understanding which conceptualises religion as discourse, religious identity as sacred narrative, and religious nationalism as a conflict over the power to shape interpretations of political legitimacy. A rationalist explanation for the role of religion in the outbreak

ABSTRACT After the Cold War, not only the United Nations (UN) but also regional organisations began to engage in the internal conflicts of their member states. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has long intervened in West African conflicts, and institutionalised its approach to interventions in 1999. Since then, member states have maintained and even increased their commitment

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of security outcomes on economic prosperity in Africa and its Regional Economic Communities (RECs) using a balanced panel data of 35 African countries and eight RECs for the period 1990–2015. Economic prosperity was measured with real GDP per capita as the proxy while security outcomes was computed from security effectiveness and legitimacy by using principal

ABSTRACT This article uses the case of Zimbabwe to explore how militarisation endangers both human and state security. While militarisation in Zimbabwe manifested itself in several ways, this study focuses on prioritising military solutions to most of the real or perceived security problems in the country between 2000 and 2008. Using data collected through review of available literature and interviews

The study of security issues almost always brings with it a feeling of pessimism, as security practitioners and scholars look through a lens of the world that forms a perspective of threats against...