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Published in:
2020 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
6. The Political Economy of Africa and Its Security Implications
Author : Manu Lekunze
Published in: Inherent and Contemporary Challenges to African Security
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the political economy (actual competition over resources, on an individual and group level). It investigates the economic resources available to African states against the need. It is argued that for various reasons, the resources and opportunity to pursue and meet needs are not available for many Africans. With the scarcity of resources, competition is thus a natural progression, and it is fierce. Where cooperation fails, violence becomes an option, hence the high levels of civil conflict. This competition allows for ethnic manipulations, as discussed in Chap. 3. The damages caused by competition for resources further exacerbate the problems of governance addressed in Chap. 4.