Book Review: Mozambican Civil War: Marxist-Apartheid Proxy, 1977-1992

Book Title: Mozambican Civil War: Marxist-Apartheid Proxy, 1977-1992 Book Author: Stephen EmersonGreat Britain: Pen and Sword Military. 2019. 128 pages ISBN: 978152672849

Jihad

What are the factors which have made South Africa so appealing to terrorist and radical islamic organisations? What role has South Africa played within global Jihad? This book examines how South Africa has come to play a major role in global terror networks stemming from growing criminality and corruption within state structures. It also examines the interaction between local and foreign extremist elements which undermine South Africa’s security. The author brings the discussion beyond the usual mundane academic treatise to the sharp reality of the global dangers of politicised Islam – a muslim talking candidly about Islam

The evolution of Islamic State’s strategy

Despite having a vast number of forces arrayed against it – the United States-led coalition, Putin’s Moscow, Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, Kurdish Peshmerga and the regimes in Baghdad and Damascus – Islamic State (IS) has expanded into other areas. Despite losing territory in Iraq and Syria, IS is growing in the Far East, the Caucasus and Africa. Reasons for the resilience displayed on the part of the jihadis are encouraging polarisation between groups and then benefiting from this process. Its diverse funding sources from oil sales to the trafficking of antiquities and narcotics have allowed IS to build a war chest in excess of US$ 2 billion. With these funds, IS has deployed soft power – digging sewage systems and providing stipends to families – to earn the loyalty of its ‘citizens’. IS has also displayed superior military strategy combining conventional military doctrine with asymmetric warfare. As IS are confronted with superior conventional forces in their heartland, however, they embrace more asymmetric warfare.Keywords: Islamic State, Iraqi Special Forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, social media, funding, soft powe

Book Review: Black Hawks rising: the story of AMISOM’s successful war against Somali insurgents, 2007-2014

Book Title: Black Hawks rising: the story of AMISOM’s successful war against Somali insurgents, 2007-2014Book Author: Opiyo OloyaHelion and Company. London. 2016. 262pp. ISBN 9781910777695

Jihad

What are the factors which have made South Africa so appealing to terrorist and radical islamic organisations? What role has South Africa played within global Jihad? This book examines how South Africa has come to play a major role in global terror networks stemming from growing criminality and corruption within state structures. It also examines the interaction between local and foreign extremist elements which undermine South Africa’s security. The author brings the discussion beyond the usual mundane academic treatise to the sharp reality of the global dangers of politicised Islam – a muslim talking candidly about Islam

The necessity of a challenge to western discourses by the African renaissance

One of the goals of the African renaissance and related projects is the transformation of the power relations between the West and Africa. This paper demonstrates the way in which western discourses on Africa perpetuate problematic power relations. The portrayal of Africa as an ailing patient in need of western assistance is scrutinised. These discourses are shown to be part of the complex structures which allow western dominance to continue. The African renaissance’s response is briefly discussed, with special attention to NEPAD. Finally, the paper suggests a new response, emphasising the importance of challenging western discourses as part of the African  renaissance

On Ethnicity and Ethnic Conflict Management in Nigeria

From Angola to Armenia and from Kosovo to Kenya the world is witnessing the rise of virulent ethnic nationalisms. This article has three main objectives. First, it aims to  provide a broad overview of the theoretical quagmire of notions of ethnic conflict.  Second, by means of examining Nigeria as a case study it examines how variables  such  as governance, civil-military relations, economics and religion effect notions of ethnic identity. Finally, it proposes certain policy-relevant recommendations to  address the problem of ethnic conflict in Nigeria

AFRICAN SOLUTIONS TO AFRICA’S PROBLEMS? AFRICAN APPROACHES TO PEACE, SECURITY AND STABILITY

Africa, with its combination of fragile governments and institutions, abject poverty amid great resources, wealth and a legacy of incessant violent conflict, has increasingly become integrated into the global security architecture. With growing globalisation, insecurity anywhere is a threat to security everywhere. Given this context, Africa’s own insecurity is serving as a source of concern for the United States and other global powers. Africa is plagued by a broad spectrum of traditional and non-traditional security threats on the one hand, and yet, as will be seen in this article, home to an emerging regional and international security consciousness and activism on the other. It was the purpose of the study on which this article reports, to examine African approaches to ensure peace, security and stability on the continent at national, sub-regional and regional level. The African Union’s (AU) approach to the promotion of peace and security on the continent can be described as a constructivist-inspired cooperative security approach, and it will be demonstrated that sub-regional organisations are very important security enforcing actors in the African security architecture

South Africa in Africa : a case of high expectations for peace

This article examines South Africa’s engagement with the rest of the African continent in the realm of peace and security since 1994. It notes that despite expectations from the international community as well as its own policy documents that South Africa would promote human rights on the continent, this has not occurred in a substantial manner. Pretoria has been naı¨ve in its mediation attempts, or worse. Pretoria’s ambiguous position in relation to human rights is not only a product of domestic variables but also its own lack of capacity, especially on the military front. These domestic constraints are reinforced at a regional level where structures like the African Standby Forces are little more than ‘paper tigers’. This serves to reinforce the status quo, ultimately undermining human security and escalating prospects for future conflict. At the same time the article does point to some positive developments arising from the Zuma administration in its engagement on the African continent in its efforts to secure human security for Africa’s citizens.http://www.informaworld.com