The CAR is a region in the middle of Africa that is surrounded by neighbouring states Chad, Congo, Sudan, and Cameroon (Graf). The CAR, since its independence from France in 1960, has been an area of continuous rebellion and contention. With over 60 ethnic groups, there has been constant conflict and political instability within the country. In 2003 Francois Bozizé seized power and became head of state and in 2005 he was elected president during the presidential elections. The result of this election was not accepted by all parties and rebel groups constantly challenged his office (Graf). Due to the conflict and instability within the CAR and the need to restore peace and security in the country, the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) requested all members to assist in this mission of this restoration. South Africa, “in the name of African Solidarity” (Zuma, 2013) responded to the directions of the AU and sent soldiers to the CAR. Their mission in the CAR, knows as operation Vimbezela, was to assist the CAR in strengthening its military capacity by providing military training and the refurbishment of the military bases. Consequently, the CAR signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South African government (Parliamentary Monitoring Group ).
The MoU served to recognise the relationship between South Africa and the CAR, with their mutual goal to enhance the development of the military in the CAR in order to promote peace and stability in the country (Parliamentary Monitoring Group). The goals to be fulfilled by South Africa were to develop a cooperative relationship between the armed forces in the CAR, to train the military personnel, provide military assets, the refurbishment of the bases, barracks and ve...
... middle of paper ...
...nforcing it. Their intentions were not merely self-gain, but rather they sought to “build peace in the continent” (Zuma, 2013). When making the decision to send soldiers to the CAR, the interests of the African continent were taken into account, as well as their own. They understood the fact that due to the increasing interdependence between states, unrest in one country could interfere with the affairs in their own country, therefore cooperating will bring mutual benefits to states involved.
Taking into account the MoU between South Africa and the CAR, it is clear that the relationship between the states was that of military cooperation in order to promote peace and stability in the CAR. The military force used was relied on to enable development and reconciliation in the CAR. This is what South African foreign policy stands for (Parliamentary Monitoring Group).
Atkinson's passion is evident on every page. By the of the book, even the most diehard believer that North Africa was just a sideshow will see the logic in Atkinson's argument of the importance of the North African campaign as a critical first-step on the way to ending World War II.
...urgency: An Ambiguous Reality,” Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies 40, no. 1, (2012):1-24.
In this section, I will provide a brief history of U.S. military involvement on the African continent, starting with the Barbary Wars and working up through the current date. This historical documentation will highlight the change in the role the United States has played in Africa [post 9-11???]. Prior to 9-11, the United States’ interactions were mainly [capture summary here]. Since [?], however, the continent has faced a marked increase in violent extremism and terrorism leading the United States to partner with many African nations in counterterrorism initiatives. These, and other initiatives, mean an increasing number U.S. service members are deploying to Africa to take part in training, humanitarian issues and military operations. These military activities are run by United States African Command, a recently created combatant command.
...ionship between leaders and the military. In European countries like Germany, military forces developed with the motives of political expansion and security of the nation, but unlike in Nigeria, the government controls the military and limits its power.
In conclusion, the motives concerning imperialism in Africa are a matter of expanding empires, helping natives, and natural resources. Europeans countries constantly tried to compete with their neighbors in fair ways to become the most dominating country. Just as much as they took possession of Africa, their will was also to assist Africa on their right path and put an end to any dilemmas they may be
African leaders knew that isolating Africa from international politics would harm security and economic stability, but opening their states to aid from the US and the USSR allowed for foreign ideological influence. The West planned to stop the spread of foreign communism with “containment” policies, using the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as military force, while the USSR responded with the Warsaw Treaty Organization in 1955. These military organizations were examples of the actions the West and East took to make themselves appear intimidating to other states, but neither resulted in major military action. Instead, they acted as support and communication systems for the West and East as they tried...
Obinor, F. 2005. Reporting Conflicts in African Way. Guardian Online, 14 November. Available at (accessed 19 May 2011).
...errilla attacks and stage strikes in order to appeal to the UN, and after a while it worked, but it took about five years for the international community to recognize the FLN was the legitimate rulers of the state. This was mostly because they staged attacks on civilians as well as their French oppressors, so both sides were at fault. The ANC realized that they could mobilize and use those who were exiled from South Africa to raise awareness of the apartheid state, and thus used culture and song to portray the events to an international audience. Each group was ultimately successful in their movements, and their pleas to the international community never fell on deaf ears. Thus, while the FLN and ANC took completely different routes, they were both able to garner attention to their respective movements, which helped both groups get on the path towards independence.
We are now a decade on from the August 2003 Accra Peace agreement which drew a line under 14 years of civil war and the oppressive dictatorship of Charles Taylor. The peace agreement bought a renewed chance of peace and stability after the atrocities that had been committed across the country. A post-war transitional government was established consisting of 76 members: 12 each from the three warring parties; Government of the Republic of Liberia, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL). Other members from the remaining 18 political parties; seven from civil society and s...
Source A gives a view on the South African governments control over its people and racial discrimination. It is a biased view and makes the South African government seem cruel and racist. It states that the governments "politics are determined by the colour a persons skin". As this is a statement it gives the impression that it is a fact and by giving this impression it also communicates the idea that the South African government IS racist, rather than the South African government COULD be racist. This comes as no real surprise as the advert has been paid for by the ANC (African National Congress), who are a very anti - South African government organization.
It had intentions of breaking post-colonial hegemonic forces that portrayed Lumumba as a nationalist dictator.
Africa has long been a nation of conflict and strife. Certain countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have a prolonged history of corrupt leaders, violence and lack of resources. These conflicts often can lead to spill over and create wars in their neighboring countries. When a weak state has internal conflict it often spreads to surrounding weak states as it did with many of the countries in central Africa. This type of crisis will often involve the entire world in a variety of capacities such as militaries, foreign aid and the global economy. Congo especially has proved to create problems that continue to persist in the modern world and much of that is due to leadership of Motubu Sese Seko. “The conflict [in Congo] produced tremendous carnage: as many as 3.8 million dead and many more injured or displaced. Both phrases of the war (1996-97 and 1998-2002) involved domestic militias, a massive foreign invasion, and shifting alliances – with Angola, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe playing major roles. Even though the was has officially ended, peace remains elusive”(Atzili 2007 pg 141). One player’s internal conflicts spread through an entire continent and affected the whole world and caused enormous damage. All countries need to strive to maintain strong institutions to be a good global citizen and one of the keys to this is leadership.
...nce, they wanted to prove themselves. Super powers and international organizations gave them a limited amount of time to become successful before they swept back in to make decisions. Because the African countries could not create a steady economy in such a short amount of time, they had to accept assistance from Western powers. These Western powers gained a lot of unfair benefits from these relationships and bettered their super power state. No matter how hard the African countries would try, the Western powers continued to have ultimate power and serious aids during this decolonization period. African leaders have tried very hard to lessen the influence of Western powers and the broader international community but they’ve never been completely successful because they continuously needed support in state building, economic development, and public health initiatives.
the ban on the ANC, the PAC and the SACP, he announced the release of
The Berlin Conference of 1884 peacefully divided Africa between world leaders. The conference, also known as the Congo Conference, looked at Africa as a great source of wealth in many areas to be shared among the participating countries. The division that took place at no time had at interest the people of Africa. By the time Africa regained its freedom in the 1950’s, most areas had developed severe political and racial division. The result of this turbulence and division is the occurrence of such violent civil wars and genocides in African countries such as Rwanda.