The creation of a security community in Africa depends on, first, making sure that political, economic and social reforms are underway. Countries cannot act cooperatively in an unstable environment. A Standby Force cannot be made out of malfunctioning troops and a security force cannot be subordinated to a weak regional organization.
The three main structural sources of instability in Africa are: ethnic differences often increased by politicized internal struggles; lack of political maturity, resulting in a number of failed states throughout the continent; and the concentration of natural resources in small regions, responsible for many of Africa’s secessionist wars.
It might take decades for Africa to overpass these structural flaws. Though, the formulation of stable States, thriving economies, and egalitarian civil societies can lessen the effects of those historical and natural legacies.
Africa is now wrapped in the vicious circle in which internal instability leads to conflict, which causes State's failure, and consequent economic crashes, ultimately resulting in more instability. Hopefully, by working along with developed States, international organizations, NGOs, the World Bank, IMF, and also by making a strong local effort, Africans can leave this terrible vicious circle aside and move into a beneficial virtuous circle where solid States guaranteeing economic wealth, can transform the structure of civil society and increase the country's overall stability.
International help is decisive to rebuild African countries and, therefore, guarantee international security. Many African governments support terrorist activities or are too weak to prevent terrorist cells to reside in the country. Not to mention the various networks of drug dealers which are encrusted in those regions. The solution for some of African security issues would, at some extent, contribute to the solution of developed countries security weaknesses. It is not to say that the political and social reforms will solve, alone, the terrorism problem or the international drug trafficking. Though, it will certainly help to suppress illegal operations.
Building stronger States should be a priority in the peace building process. Alongside the political reform, come important macro-economic reforms to improve the nations' economy. Africa has had and astonishing rate of population growth in recent years, in spite of the spread of endemic diseases. At the same time, though, its Gross National Product decreased, and was not able to keep up with the increasing population. In addition, its rate of economic growth decreased significantly since the 1970s. Those circumstances generated economic stagnation. To reverse this trend for economic recession it’s mandatory for the States to, initially, establish a free market economy, in which governmental interventions are rare and not molded by personal interests.
The widespread idea of "African Solutions for African Problems" cannot be proved to be the right one. In order to solve its own security problems, Africa would need to engage in peace making and peace enforcement, promote arms control and disarmament, take collective decisions and solve interstate disputes. No organization in the continent is able to do that. African Unity is a good candidate for the job, but it has proved, by past experiences, to be really ineffective, or at least less effective than external agents. The organization lacks not only capable personnel and sufficient resources, but also active support from African States, which are much more concerned with their own political or socioeconomic problems. States' full engagement is crucial to the survival of any international organization, and should somehow be enforced rather than built on self-reliance.
Africa has to cope with a legacy of unstable political, economic and social institutions for, perhaps, many years to come. The continent needs external help to build strong political institutions, in order to complete its full insertion into international life, in a way that its people can profit from the globalization process, and not suffer from it.
The construction of Africa's Security System is, undoubtedly, a major step in this direction, but it will take more than the creation of regional organizations to get the job done. There must be initiated a process of countries’ internal reforms, given that States which have solid institutions are much more capable of assuming its internal functions as well as its international responsibilities.
Development is deeply connected to peace. So as long as the continent does not find its way to peace, it will suffer from the evils of poverty.
__________________________
The three main structural sources of instability in Africa are: ethnic differences often increased by politicized internal struggles; lack of political maturity, resulting in a number of failed states throughout the continent; and the concentration of natural resources in small regions, responsible for many of Africa’s secessionist wars.
It might take decades for Africa to overpass these structural flaws. Though, the formulation of stable States, thriving economies, and egalitarian civil societies can lessen the effects of those historical and natural legacies.
Africa is now wrapped in the vicious circle in which internal instability leads to conflict, which causes State's failure, and consequent economic crashes, ultimately resulting in more instability. Hopefully, by working along with developed States, international organizations, NGOs, the World Bank, IMF, and also by making a strong local effort, Africans can leave this terrible vicious circle aside and move into a beneficial virtuous circle where solid States guaranteeing economic wealth, can transform the structure of civil society and increase the country's overall stability.
International help is decisive to rebuild African countries and, therefore, guarantee international security. Many African governments support terrorist activities or are too weak to prevent terrorist cells to reside in the country. Not to mention the various networks of drug dealers which are encrusted in those regions. The solution for some of African security issues would, at some extent, contribute to the solution of developed countries security weaknesses. It is not to say that the political and social reforms will solve, alone, the terrorism problem or the international drug trafficking. Though, it will certainly help to suppress illegal operations.
Building stronger States should be a priority in the peace building process. Alongside the political reform, come important macro-economic reforms to improve the nations' economy. Africa has had and astonishing rate of population growth in recent years, in spite of the spread of endemic diseases. At the same time, though, its Gross National Product decreased, and was not able to keep up with the increasing population. In addition, its rate of economic growth decreased significantly since the 1970s. Those circumstances generated economic stagnation. To reverse this trend for economic recession it’s mandatory for the States to, initially, establish a free market economy, in which governmental interventions are rare and not molded by personal interests.
The widespread idea of "African Solutions for African Problems" cannot be proved to be the right one. In order to solve its own security problems, Africa would need to engage in peace making and peace enforcement, promote arms control and disarmament, take collective decisions and solve interstate disputes. No organization in the continent is able to do that. African Unity is a good candidate for the job, but it has proved, by past experiences, to be really ineffective, or at least less effective than external agents. The organization lacks not only capable personnel and sufficient resources, but also active support from African States, which are much more concerned with their own political or socioeconomic problems. States' full engagement is crucial to the survival of any international organization, and should somehow be enforced rather than built on self-reliance.
Africa has to cope with a legacy of unstable political, economic and social institutions for, perhaps, many years to come. The continent needs external help to build strong political institutions, in order to complete its full insertion into international life, in a way that its people can profit from the globalization process, and not suffer from it.
The construction of Africa's Security System is, undoubtedly, a major step in this direction, but it will take more than the creation of regional organizations to get the job done. There must be initiated a process of countries’ internal reforms, given that States which have solid institutions are much more capable of assuming its internal functions as well as its international responsibilities.
Development is deeply connected to peace. So as long as the continent does not find its way to peace, it will suffer from the evils of poverty.
__________________________
* Nota: O presente artigo é um excerto de um Ensaio de mesmo título escrito pela autora em abril de 2007. Sua versão original é também em inglês, mas algumas alterações foram feitas para a adequação ao formato do blog.
Mapa: "Failed Attempts at Democracy" By Philippe Rekacewicz, Le Monde Diplomatique. Acessado no dia 09/11/07, url: http://mondediplo.com/maps/africademomdv51
Tradução da Legenda do Mapa:
- Processos democráticos quase respeitados
- Democracias de fachada ou regimes semi-autoritários
- Processos democráticos interrompidos por um golpe de Estado
- Processos democráticos impossíveis (conflito territorial, guerra civil, Estados decadentes controlando apenas uma parte de seus territórios)
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