Security  Challenges  of  States  Building  Crisis  in  West  Africa  since  1955

Shamvu, Mulago Jean-Pierre

Security Challenges of States Building Crisis in West Africa since 1955

atmire.migration.oldid	1857
dc.contributor.advisor	Huebert, Rob
dc.contributor.author	Shamvu, Mulago Jean-Pierre
dc.date.accessioned	2014-01-29T22:40:51Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-15T07:00:21Z
dc.date.issued	2014-01-29
dc.date.submitted	2014	en
dc.description.abstract	West African states have been struggling to build their nation-states since the independences that started in 1957. The same ills that struck these states since the beginning seem to have stuck with them despite several attempts at healing them. Instead of modern and prosperous states, people are witnessing the chronic weakness of their states. This research seeks to contribute to the understanding of states’ weakness in West Africa and to the analysis of possible solutions to address the problem. The opening chapter sets the stage of the research by introducing the phenomenon of states’ weakness in West Africa. The next chapter looks at the literature that deals with states power and weakness. The frames of analysis used to evaluate these states’ strength and weaknesses are also introduced in this chapter. These are the critical mass, political skills, economic wealth, military and security assets. These resources offer a view of a state’s potential. Chapter three delves on some of the causes of West African states’ weakness. These states are weak because of the structures and internal socio-political dynamics within them. Some other causes of their weakness come from the global powers’ influences. The last section of the chapter offers an overview of how the Cold War (1945-1989) influenced events in the sub region. The political environment of overlay by global powers shapes considerably the states under study. Security Reform and Governance is posited as the solution to the lack of capacity of West African states. Chapter four of this work delves on this subject. The security sector covers most state’s institutions that need to be reformed in West Africa. The closing chapter demonstrates how the Economic Community of West African States is a nascent security community. Its security architecture endorses the Security Sector Governance mechanism and therefore stands a better chance of strengthening member states if provided with the needed resources.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Shamvu, M. J. (2014). Security Challenges of States Building Crisis in West Africa since 1955 (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27729	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/27729
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1332
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.publisher.place	Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	History--African
dc.subject	Military Studies
dc.subject	Political Science--International Law and Relations
dc.subject.classification	West Africa	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Security	en_US
dc.subject.classification	International Relations	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Peace and security	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Conflict	en_US
dc.title	Security Challenges of States Building Crisis in West Africa since 1955
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Military and Strategic Studies
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true