| ID | 175495 |
| Title Proper | Broken relationship between state security and human security |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Otto, Lisa ; Velthuizen, Dries |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The study of security issues almost always brings with it a feeling of pessimism, as security practitioners and scholars look through a lens of the world that forms a perspective of threats against the interests of states and the people who live in it. It is easy to forget that Africa is a rich continent with many states showing annual growth despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, another catastrophe the people of Africa are dealing with better than states in the northern hemisphere. However, the international trend, such as the cynical economic self-interest of political rulers who isolate themselves from the citizens of the state, is also a reality in some African states. Flourishing on social divides such as ethnicity, religious difference and outdated ideologies, for a small group of winner-takes-all rulers, it is business-as-usual when they apply financial resources to maintain their armed forces to deal with daily criminality, violent protests and political resistance. The result is that securing the livelihoods and general well-being of increasingly disgruntled citizens (a state responsibility) is compromised. Thus, the insecure conditions created by the broken relationships between the people and those who govern them pose a challenge to the security of nation states in Africa. Furthermore, the populist reaction of citizens against ineffective governance exposes the limitations of global security management systems, such as that of the UN, AU and the peace and security structure of regional communities, in dealing security challenges within states. |
| `In' analytical Note | African Security Review Vol. 29, No.3; Sep 2020 : p.223-224 |
| Journal Source | African Security Review Vol: 29 No 3 |