Africa in the New World Order: Peace and Security Challenges in the Twenty-First Century

About the Book

This book examines the role of the emerging African nations in the new international order of the twenty-first century. Since the end of the Cold War, little significance has been placed on the African continent in the security and political considerations of the Western world. However, post-9/11 international security has been redefined, and new challenges have been identified. Thus, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, Africa is facing a variety of new security challenges. Africa has become an increasingly important battleground in the fight against terrorism. Since the beginning of 2011, the new revolutions, now known as the Arab Spring, that swept through North Africa have created new challenges for the African continent and are compounding the African peoples’ struggles for poverty alleviation, state stability, security, socio-political and socio-economic development, democracy, and good governance.
In addition to these crises of civil war, ethnic conflict, state insecurity, and rampant corruption at all levels, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has ravaged the continent for the past four decades. The only major pan-African organization—the African Union—is unable to lead and defend the continent effectively. At this crucial period when the continent is confronted with these myriad of security challenges, it needs effective, strong leadership that possesses both human and natural resources to play a leadership role in Africa and lead the continent in the new global order of the twenty-first century. The contributors to this volume analyze many of these issues and place them in the wider context of global security.

Table of Contents:

Introduction- Olayiwola Abegunrin
Part 1: African Security Perspective
Chapter 1: Leadership Problem and Africa’s Security Challenges in the New International Order- Olayiwola Abegunrin
Chapter 2: Nigeria and the Emergency of Boko Haram: Anatomy of A Weak State- Olusoji Akomolafe
Chapter 3: The 2002 Rebellion, Civil War and Presidential Election Crisis of 2010 in Cote D’Ivoire- Balla M. Keita
Part 2: African Security in Regional Perspectives
Chapter 4: The Niger Delta: A Tenuous and Perilous Security Condition- Sabelle Ogbobode Abidde
Chapter 5: Political Instability and Prospect for Economic Security in the Democratic Republic of Congo- Olayiwola Abegunrin
Chapter 6: Security Dilemma: Post-Independence Arrangements between North-South Sudan- Benjamin A. Machar
Chapter 7: Revolutions Across North Africa: What Will Be Their Impact on the Rest of Africa- Mohammed El-Khawas
Chapter 8: Appraising Africa’s Fifty Years of Independence: The Struggle of Attaining Viable Peace and Security- Alem Hailu
Part

About the Author :
Olayiwola Abegunrin is professor of international relations and African studies at Howard University.

Review :
A collection of eleven well-researched and well-written essays assembled by one of Africa's finest and most brilliant scholars of our times, Africa in the New World Order painstakingly addresses major problems which have bedeviled Africa's orderly march to progress, growth, and development. It is indisputably a curtain raiser and a must read for anyone interested in understanding peace and security challenges in Africa. This edited volume deals with the state of affairs in Africa, half a century after independence, and its role in the increasingly interdependent world order of the 21st century. Africa, according to the book, has a rich legacy and is part of the rich narrative of humanity. The post-independence reality, however, demonstrates that the lack of good governance, the security dilemma in general, and the dearth of selfless and transformative leadership have complicates situations in Africa, hampers development, and disempowers the people. This book is informative, educational, and is a good read for scholars, diplomats, graduate students, and the general public interested to learn about the economic, political, and social intricacies within the continent and beyond. In this fascinating and engaging volume, Abegunrin and the other contributors take the reader through the multi-dimensional security problems and challenges facing Africa in the twenty-first century. The work utilizes an interdisciplinary framework that integrates the tools of various disciplines to skillfully analyze these complex issues. Compelling, insightful, and persuasive, this book is an important addition to the literature on African peace and security studies. It is not only policy relevant; it is a valuable resource for the general reader interested in Africa in the contemporary global order.