The September 21 Al-Shabaab attack was a significant blow to the difficult process of state building on the continent, producing a sort of fear that prompts advocates of good governance to give…
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Special Issues
Responding to the Westgate Attack: Enforcing the Rule of Law
by Achieng' Akena
Following the Westgate Mall attack in September, a range of proposals have been put forth about what Kenya needs to do in order to protect itself and prevent such a tragedy from happening again. However, the panic and fear arising from the Westgate attack may lead to draconian measures that are neither legal nor effective and in direct contradiction to the Kenyan constitution. This piece argues that terrorism cannot be effectively controlled without reforms that are both principled and legal.
Special Issues
The “Somali Question” and Ghosts of Past Security Dialogues in Africa
by 'Funmi Olonisakin
The Westgate mall attack in Kenya–one of the most recent indicators of the continuing rise in the use of terror by a network of insurrectionary groups in Africa and globally–compels us to reflect on extant approaches to national and regional security. The challenge that confronts Kenya (and indeed the rest of the continent and elsewhere) is whether it can conceive the security of Somalia and Somalis as an integral part of the security of the Kenyan state and people, as well as the neighboring region.
Book Reviews
The Globalization Paradox: Why Global Markets, States, and Democracy Can’t Coexist, by Dani Rodrik
Essays
The Westgate Terrorist Attack: Any Lessons for Kenya’s Approach to Regional Security?
by Kenneth Omeje and Dr. Nicodemus Minde
With the embers of the Westgate Mall attack slowly cooling off, the Kenyan government’s policies have faced heavy scrutiny. As the global security environment changes and instances of terrorism increase throughout the East African region, countries within this region should progressively invest more resources into enhancing their capacities for security, both domestically and regionally, while encouraging greater cooperation and joint security efforts.
Conflict
The 9/21 Attack on Westgate Mall: Understanding the Youth Factor in Violent Radicalization in Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa
by Alfred Ndumo Muteru
Al-Shabaab has begun to mobilize support by taking advantage of political and socio-economic vulnerabilities of the youth in Somalia's neighboring countries. After two and a half decades of counterproductive military interventions, peacebuilding processes may need to be reconsidered and instead focus on inclusive ideas that do not overlook the importance of the youth.
Essays
Mapping Reconciliation Processes in Africa: A Project Set to Fail or A Possible Gateway to Further Research?
Essays
Mediating in Madagascar: Bypassing the AU Ban on Coup Legitimization
by Laurie Nathan
A great political problem on the African continent is the scourge of coups have taken place over the past half century, one being in Madagascar in 2009. To combat these coups, the African Union has put in place a firm policy commitment to reject coups and other unconstitutional changes of government. While at first glance, the AU's ban on coup legitimization is a decisive rejection of the military overthrow of governments and, thus, a compelling deterrent to future coups, it becomes clear upon further investigation that the ban itself is incompatible with mediation, which the AU invariably undertakes to restore constitutional order.
Essays
Why Peacebuilding in Eastern Congo Often Goes Wrong, and Why It Is So Hard to Get Right
by Christoph Vogel and Joschka Havenith
Why is building peace in a context such as the Congolese conflicts so hard? Despite many efforts, including the presence of the largest United Nations peacekeeping mission, international treaties, and peace talks, peacebuilding in eastern Congo has become a difficult task with a myriad of complexities. Havenith and Vogel seek to understand these challenges.
