The risks of African military capacity building

Lessons from Rwanda

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6023973
AutoresDanielle Beswick (0000-0003-0345-9039, University of Birmingham, autor de correspondencia)
Año2014
Volumen113
Número451
Páginas212-231
Fecha de publicación2014-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAfrican Affairs (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0001-9909 • E-ISSN: 1468-2621
EditorialOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/afraf/adu003
OpenAlexW2163049859
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas21
Referencias citadas2

Civil war and insecurity are widely seen as obstacles to development and threats to international stability, and donors are therefore keen to develop African capacities to manage conflict on the continent. Building the capacity of African militaries is hazardous, however, given their frequent roles in coups, support for authoritarian regimes, and violence against civilians. This article argues that the risks of military capacity building can be assessed more accurately by understanding how national governments view and utilize the military as a policy tool. It demonstrates this using the case of post-genocide Rwanda, a significant contributor to African peacekeeping but also to instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The article identifies four features of the Rwandan regime's understanding and use of military force, using these to explain the dual and divisive role of Rwanda's military as an agent of instability on the one hand and peace on the other. Finally, the article explores the M23 crisis, considering implications for donor efforts to manage risks inherent in international commitments to "African solutions". It concludes by arguing that, as African military capacity building continues, recognizing the ways in which such enhanced forces are likely to be used will be crucial to developing a better understanding of the continent's peace and security prospects.

Authoritarianism · Capacity building · Democracy · Development economics · Economics · Genocide · Peacekeeping · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Terrorism · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · Law · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts · Peacebuilding and International Security · Public Administration