Call for papers
A multi-disciplinary Conference, 18 to 19 January 2011, University of Yaoundé II, Cameroon.
AMBIGUOUS RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMIES AND STATES IN AFRICA
As a majority of African states celebrate their 50 years of independence, there is a need to review what relations have existed between the state and its armies in Africa. The purpose of this workshop is to explore the ambiguous relationship that has existed between the military and the state, between republican and predatory armies and place African armies within a world historical context. More than in the early days of independence, many African armies are now involved in overt warfare and gaining combat experiences, at least through Peacekeeping missions.[1]
While several scholars have generally portrayed African armies as ‘predatory’, unprofessional and buried in the pockets of dictators, civil-military relations are also seen as tensed. More than any other continent, between 1946 and 2010, Africa has witnessed more than 400 Coups d'état (successful, attempted, plotted, and alleged) in almost all fifty-two countries.[2]
While acknowledging the strong influenced of colonial history on civil-military relations on the continent, researchers are questioning new models of mutuality between the state and its armies in the post-colonial era. If differences in how the military relates with the Government in Africa and the West were just a matter of degree as some argue, how would one describe the achievements after fifty years?[3] Should African states, as Franke suggests, rely on a possible Pan-African army?[4]
It will also be interesting to look over history, the composition of armies in Africa. This historical sociology is likely to reveal a varied background of various actors of the security sector in Africa. In several African countries, armies are made up of militia, mercenaries, children, slaves, fugitives [former] rebels, etc.[5] In this regard, what has been called citizen armies could be given new meanings, not only in Africa, but in other parts of the world. Authors may will to explore the underlying reasons for the unprecedented growth in Africa’s private security sector.
This workshop will question some of these established assertions by focusing on field experiences gathered by researchers working on changes in state building in Africa. Noting the continuous occurrence of military coups on the African continent, the resurgence of rebellious armies, the use of mercenaries, the atrocities of some state military personnel and the general breakdown in the security apparatus in many African states, we should be asking the question: are African armies part of the problem or part of the solution to strong vibrant states on the continent?[6]
Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 15 November 2010. Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by 20 November 2010 and will need to submit their full papers to the organizers by 28 December 2010.
The 300-word abstracts should be submitted by email to the conference secretariat, with the following information:
a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of paper, e) body of abstract. Emails should include the name of the author and title in the subject line.
All paper proposals submitted will be acknowledged. If you do not receive a reply from us after a week following your submission, you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! In such cases, we suggest that you resend the abstract by an alternative electronic route. Unfortunately, no funding for travel to or lodging at the conference can be offered.
Conference Secretariat:
Ibrahim Ndzesop
Doctoral Candidate
University of Paris 1 and Centre d'Études des mondes africains, France
Military Labor and state formation,
E-mail Ibrahim.Ndzesop@malix.univ-paris1.fr or ibndzesop@gmail.com
Organizing Chairs
Sakah Saidu MAHMUD
Associate Professor and Head of Department of Political Science
Kwara State University, Malete, P. M. B. 1530, Ilorin Post Office, Ilorin-Nigeria
E-mail: sakah.mahmud@kwasu.edu.ng
Vincent NTUDA EBODE Joseph
Associate Professor of Political Sciences and Director for the Centre for Geostrategic Studies (CREPS), Université de Yaoundé II, SOA
Nadine MACHIKOU
Enseignante de science politique
Université de Yaoundé II et l'Institut des Relations International du Cameroun
E-mail: nadngameni@yahoo.fr
Richard BRADSHAW
Professor of History and International Relations
Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, USA
E-mail: rick.bradshaw@centre.edu
Lori HARTMANN-MAHMUD
Hower Associate Professor of Government and International Studies
Centre College, 600 West Walnut St., Danville, KY 40422
E-mail: lori.hartmann-mahmud@centre.edu
[1] Norrie Macqueen, United Nations peacekeeping in Africa since 1960, London and New York: Longman, 2002; Jean-Emmanuel Pondi, ed, L'ONU vue d'Afrique, Paris, Maisonneuve & Larose, 2005.
[2] George Klay Kieh, Jr. and Pita Ogaba Agbese (eds.), The Military and Politics in Africa, Ashgate Publishing, 2004; http://www.systemicpeace.org/africa/ACPPAnnex2b.pdf; Barany, Zoltan. "Building Post-Colonial Armies: Comparative Perspectives from Africa and Asia" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Theory vs. Policy? Connecting Scholars and Practitioners, New Orleans, LA, Feb 17, 2010.
[3] Naison Ngoma, “Civil-military relations in Africa: Navigating uncharted waters”, African Security Review, 2006; Lanotte, Olivier, République démocratique du Congo: guerres sans frontières. Brussels: Éditions Complexe. 2003.
[4] Benedikt Franke, “A Pan-African army: The evolution of an idea and its eventual realisation in the African Standby Force”, African Security Review, 2006
[5] « Guerres en RDC et au Tchad : Les « mercenaires africains » en action », 07/02/2008 - Congo (Rep Dem) / Le Potentiel / International ; Marc Fontrier, « Des armées africaines : comment et pour quoi faire ? », Outre-Terre, 2005/2 (no 11).
[6] Kimba Idrissa, Armée et politique au Niger, Dakar (Senegal) : CODESRIA, 2008 ; Martin, M.L, La militarisation des systèmes politiques africains (1960 -1972) : une tentative d’interprétation, Sherbrooke, Editions Naaman, 1976 ; Martin, M. L., Le soldat africain et le politique : essais sur le militarisme et l’État prétorien au sud du Sahara, Toulouse, Presses de l’Institut d’études politiques de Toulouse, 1990.
