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Achieving Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cost Effective Alternatives to the Military
by book review by Diana Francis
This book, edited by Geoff Harris, was published in 2004 by the Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria. As its title would suggest, its focus is Sub-Saharan Africa, but the ideas under discussion have much wider implications. Geoff Harris indicates their global relevance in his preface, which begins:
“The phrase ‘there is no alternative’, which has become known by the acronym TINA, is one of a number of things for which former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher will be remembered.”
He counters that ‘there are always alternatives’ (acronym TAAA). Asserting that the military response to September 11th has made the world less, not more, secure, he states that there ‘is an opportunity for Africans to think differently’ and that ‘there are indeed alternatives which are less costly, more effective and more moral than the use of force’. The purpose of this book, he says, is to ‘help move Africa at least some way down these alternative paths’.
I have quoted extensively from this (brief) preface because for me it accurately encapsulates what makes the book so valuable. The contributions it contains are very varied, not only in content but also in the assumptions they reveal, some being more radically ‘alternative’ than others. (One of the debates implicit in this book is whether the military is capable – or worthy – of reform.)
The book is divided into five parts. Although this is not usual in reviews, I have decided that listing them, together with their chapters and authors, will be the simplest and most effective way of indicating the range of approaches that are elaborated.
Part One: The case for demilitarisation
‘The case for demilitarisation in sub-Saharan Africa’ by Geoff Harris
Part Two: Transforming the military
‘Defensive restructuring of the military in sub-Saharan Africa’ by Bjorn Moller
‘Civilianising military functions’ by Geoff Harris
‘Defending without the military’ by Brian Martin
Part Three: Reducing the number of disputes
‘Befriending the neighbours’ by Rebecca Spence
‘Building security through democracy and balanced economic relationships’ by Lloyd Dumas
‘Development and security in Africa: a challenge for the new millenium [sic]’ by Sue Willett
Part Four: Developing dispute resolution capacity
‘Educating the population in conflict resolution and conflict management’ by Anne-Marie Maxwell
‘Developing peacemaking institutions: an economist’s approach’ by Jurgen Brauer
Part Five: Implementing demilitarisation
‘The demobilisation of military personnel’ by Kees Kingma
‘National ministries of peacebuilding’ by Keith Suter ‘Central American demilitarisation: a model for small countries?’ by Geoff Harris Of course I found some of these chapters more cogent (or more to my way of thinking) than others, but all were thought-provoking and interesting.
Finally, there is an epilogue by Geoff Harris. Here he returns to the broader question of demilitarisation, and the radical mental and structural shifts that this requires. He outlines steps that could be taken and produces an excellent, simple table of ‘Alternative ways of achieving security: relative costs and effectiveness’. He ends with some reasons for optimism.
All in all, I found this book a stimulating, challenging and encouraging read. For those who live and work in Sub-Saharan Africa and for all those who care about alternatives to the military I would highly recommend it.
Copies of the book are available free (!) from the author at the School of Economics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa, email:
harrisg1@ukzn.ac.za |
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