2. African Security Studies in International Relations

This book starts with a discussion on the status of the African state in International Relations. This is because the state is the central unit of analysis for International Relations. While the African state and African governance have been discussed widely in African Studies literature, its discussion in International Relations is limited. In many cases, International Relations theorists have brushed it aside, arguing that states do not quite exist outside of the OECD. Building on Clapham (Africa and the International System: The Politics of State Survival. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996) and Buzan (People, States and Fear: An Agenda for Security Analysis in the Post-Cold War Era. London: Wheatsheaf, 1991), this chapter addresses issues of the African states in International Relations. It also explores International Relations theories as they apply to the arguments (African security) in this book. This chapter serves as the foundation for the analysis in subsequent chapters.