Week 4: The Horn of Africa & Sub-Saharan Politics PDF

The Horn of Africa & the Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa Week 4 Human Security What is Human Security?  “Survival, daily life, and dignity of human beings” said Obuchi Keizo PM of Japan in International Symposium on Human Security (2000).  The concept developed more post the Cold-War in mid 199...

The Horn of Africa & the Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa Week 4 Human Security What is Human Security?  “Survival, daily life, and dignity of human beings” said Obuchi Keizo PM of Japan in International Symposium on Human Security (2000).  The concept developed more post the Cold-War in mid 1990s  Amartya Sen (2000) said the term is the result of the in-context challenges that were pressing issues at the time such as: 1- Public health problems like AIDS, Malaria & T.B. 2-Also, the acuteness of civil-wars in many regions that is associated with killings and loss of many humans’ dignities. This is an issue that makes human survival so insecure. 3- Quality of Life is influenced by the economic situation for example “When the Asian economic crisis came, the potential danger - already present - became manifest and fierce, and it ravaged the daily lives of people who had earlier felt falsely secure” (Sen 2000) What is Human Security?  Quality of life is also related to quality education, good health care as a result of strong economic safety net. 4- Quality of life can be achieved by having a sustained environment. “The need to pay attention to ecological and environmental concerns applies to all countries - rich and poor. Since ecological irresponsibility is, at least partly, a matter of ignorance” (Sen 2000). 5- Democratic participation leads to human dignity as it allows all sectors of the society to be represented such as the weak and the vulnerable in them. What is Human Security?  It is one theory of International Security  It shares aspects with human development  In a nutshell it is Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear  It has seven dimensions that are all interconnected and interrelated Trends in Africa  Africa has been subject to insecurity  Most African countries suffered from colonial exploitation  Some of the African countries experienced interstate & intrastate conflicts  Pan-Africanism was introduced to “secure” African countries, this started in the 1960s in the form of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU) which is now known as the African Union (AU). Assessing Human Dignity Assessing Human Dignity  Gender equality regression in different parts of the world marks less human dignity  Indignities of other kinds could be related to: class, ethnicity, social opportunity, economic resources. Human Security in Africa  Africa and Asia have long suffered from challenges of meeting the basic needs and aspirations of millions of people.  Contemporary security is tied to the complex and multiple challenges of development  Africa’s leaders are aware that a cooperative approach is required to overcome their countries problems such as some continental cooperation to overcome these developmental problems. This is clear in the adoption of NEPAD & AU. Human Security in Africa Nkrumah in 1950s Bourguiba in 1960s “ Seek ya first political kingdom and all “The African was capable of running else will follow” his own affairs fighting his own battles and developing his own people” Human Security in Africa  Post-independence states lacked “political modernization” where large countries have legitimacy issues , face rebellion and lack international law for example in Liberia, Somalia, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia.  Maybe some of these states' governments are accepted but Not their political institutions especially different factions of citizens.  Between 1968 and 2006, 42 wars were fought in Africa due to interstate conflicts. Sudan as an example until today.  All this violence result in human loses due to wars, hunger and disease. Human Security in Africa  In Africa personal security is not related to just physical security but also to hunger, disease and environmental contamination  Community security and social conflict  Structural-violence: refers to the structure of the relevant political-social system ex. Apartheid system in ??  Africa’s human security is an expansive approach to human security  Africa’s human security is different than Mahboub Al Haq’s definition who view traditional approaches to the state security but two complementary manner Human Security in Africa  Problems Sub-Saharan Africa suffer from: - In central, east and south Africa half of their population suffer from malnutrition especially among children and women. - Poverty, inequality of resource distribution, access to participation leading to conflicts - Bad governance - Corruption - HIV/AIDS endemic Human Security in Africa  HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa - Top five countries with HIV/AIDS infections in 2021 are South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania - It needs a lot of advocacy to ensure that political leaders put it on their political agendas - Encouragement of NGOs to get engaged more to fight it - Reducing the cost of medication required for HIV/AIDS Human Security in the Horn of Africa  Human security issues are pressing in the Greater Horn of Africa (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia) 1- This region suffered heavily from Inter-State Conflicts, before and after independence or example Ethiopia and Somalia 1977-78 then in 2006- 2009 2- Political exclusion and power struggle (power monopoly by leaders) 3- Ethnic and religious discrimination (dominance of one ethnic group over another (ex Arabs and blacks in Sudan) 4- Piracy: maritime criminal activities that is heavily seen in Somalia. 5- Terrorism: Horn of Africa is subject to many terrorist attacks ex bombings of US embassies in 1998 in Kenya and Tanzania by Al Qaeda 6- Human Rights Violations: this region heavily suffers from deteriorating HR like freedoms 7- Poverty: due to suffering from natural disasters as droughts and floods, this region suffers from food crisis ex Somalia and Eritrea who depend on external support to feed their people. Famine in Somalia in 1990s How to solve these problems?  Solving interstate and intrastate conflicts via the AU which aims at maintaining peace and security.  There are efforts made by the African Human Security Initiative (AHSI) which is a network of seven NGOs focusing on examining the efforts of member states in addressing human security.  The participation of the Horn of African countries in the “Conflict management process” under the umbrella of Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)  The establishment of the African Peace Forum (AFP)in Kenya to prevent, resolve and manage conflicts.  Critique: practically these initiatives lack practicality, they just work on research and offer workshops and policy forums. So, what do you think?