Volume 9 Number 1

The text argues that Africa has lost its Cold War-era strategic importance, leading to a rise in regional conflicts and state fragility. It discusses a shift toward subregional security arrangements (such as ECOWAS and SADC) as African nations and donors move away from reliance on the UN. The author contends that stability requires a focus on domestic security and 'collaborative security' based on transparency and reassurance rather than collective defense, warning that supporting weak, undemocratic states to provide regional security without international oversight may have negative consequences.

• Africa's strategic importance has declined since the Cold War, with global interest now limited primarily to humanitarian concerns and areas with exploitable natural resources.
• Frustration with the UN's differential treatment of conflicts has led to a new paradigm favoring regional security arrangements and peacekeeping forces supported by donors and subregional organizations like ECOWAS and SADC.
• African states are currently experiencing increased conflict and weakness, with governance often limited to urban areas and rural regions neglected.
• The primary strategic need for weak African states is 'reassurance' through normative and institutional structures and 'collaborative security' rather than traditional deterrence or collective defense.
• There is a risk that encouraging undemocratic, weak states to provide regional security without international oversight may strengthen external interference and divert scarce resources away from domestic security.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Volume 9 Number 1. https://issafrica.org/research/african-security-review/volume-9-number-1

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Volume 9 Number 1. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/african-security-review/volume-9-number-1.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Volume 9 Number 1 |url=https://issafrica.org/research/african-security-review/volume-9-number-1 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndvolume, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Volume 9 Number 1}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/african-security-review/volume-9-number-1}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }