External Intervention

The U.S. is highly invested in keeping terrorism suppressed and under control in Sub-Saharan Africa. Not only does the U.S. provide million of dollars in aid to African nations, it also has a heavy military presence on continent. U.S. military forces and operations have only grown larger and expanded over the course of the last decade. The U.S. has undertaken several prominent operations in Somalia alone and in one such operation in 2009, the U.S. killed Saleh Ali Nabhan, a man who was potentially involved in the bombing of two U.S. embassies back in 1998.  The U.S. continues to send aid to Ethiopia despite it’s human rights violations, because it’s seen as the key to suppressing terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa also receives aid from the EU and the World Bank. China has also become a growing player in Africa, investing billions of dollars into the continent. However, China plays no role in counter-terrorism efforts on the continent, being more concerned with Africa’s abundance of natural resources.

Factionalized Elites

Factionalized elites  can be defined as the splintering of a nation into political groups that promote rhetoric and actions that are harmful to the country. It’s a key factor when it comes to determining whether a country is a “failed state”. African countries like Sudan and Somalia are well known for having trouble with factionalized elites. Numerous parties vying for power,  make for an incredible unstable environment. Somalia is number one on the failed state index, and this is in large part due to the factionalized elites operating within the country. Somalia has several governments operating within it’s borders, making for an often chaotic environment. This instability has led to large portions of Somalia’s population being displaced. The 2006-2009 occupation by Ethiopian forces was an attempt to bring peace and stability, but instead Ethiopian forces largely seemed yet another group adding to the volatility of the mix.

Human Rights and Rule of Law

There are numerous human rights abuses that often go unpunished. However, most states in Africa have accepted and ratified UN human rights treaties. Recent humanitarian crises, like the one in The Central African Republic sometimes involve international intervention. The one in the CAR involves the armed militia group seleka that seized control of the country and continues to commit atrocities against the general population. While an international peacekeeping force has been deployed it’s been ineffective in protecting civilians in the area. International peacekeeping missions often have mixed results, with some helping to quell the violence and even bring countries out of civil war, while others fall far short of their intended goals.  Despite continued human rights abuses, economic and human development have continued to improve since 2000. The  Ibrahim Index of African Governance has shown an improvement in the functionality of state governments, but showed a decline in rule of law, which has raised concern over how long this period of improvement can sustain itself without collapsing.

Public Services

Public Services: Government agencies in Africa reliant on international funds often prioritize the acquisition of money over the spending of it on public services. This has resulted in cuts in social services and the raising of food prices. In addition, twice as much money is spent on debt reduction (As a whole Africa is 255 billion dollars in debt) as compared to health and education. Anything that remains usually goes to the military for army upkeep. Many public works projects, designed to benefit the people are often subverted and used for personal financial gain by those in power.  River Basin developments are often used for such a purpose, where people in power reap the rewards while the people get nothing.The Manateli Dam is one particular egregious example of this.  The dam raised local land values which allowed elites to buy them and make a profit. This meant moving the people who lived on these lands off of them.

Security Apparatus 

The most militarily powerful country in Africa is most likely Ethiopia which has one of the most effective security apparatuses on the continent. Ethiopia is the recipient of international aid from the U.S. Much of this money has been spent on amplifying their military presence. This has allowed Ethiopia to engage in peacekeeping efforts around the continent. These peacekeeping efforts are sometimes violent in nature, like the Ethiopian occupation of Somalia in 2006-2009. Despite this, The U.S. has sent millions of dollars in aid to Ethiopia because of its strategic importance in maintaining order and providing counter-terrorism efforts in East Africa. The African Union (AU), an organization consisting of 54 African states also plays an important role in providing security for the continent as a whole. The AU’s counter terrorism protocols and peacekeeping forces help combat terrorism and maintain order in Africa.

State Legitimacy 

In the 1960’s previous colonies in Africa began to become their own independent states. However, this didn’t lead to widespread democracies, with almost all African leaders at one point or another be deposed with violence.  Today most Sub-Saharan countries practice democracy in theory, even if they don’t always adhere to it in principle. In Rwanda, the president Paul Kagame is well known for intimidating the competition and threatening those who oppose him. However, other countries in Africa are more respectful of the democratic process. Rupiah Banda, a contender for a presidential election in Zambia gracefully stepped down after losing the presidency, a position that his party had held for 20 years. It’s acts like these that help legitimize many of these state governments, by practicing democracy not only in words, but also in action.  There are some notable exceptions, like Ethiopia, that still choose to refrain from elections. There are countries which are known as “failed states.”The most prominent example of a “failed state” in Africa is The Republic of Congo, a country that has an ineffective and weak central government and where multiple rebellions have sprung up and continue to do so. Somalia is another example. Since the 1990’s the country has been torn apart by violence and warfare and is now divided up between warlords and militias