POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REGIONAL SECURITY IN CENTRAL AFRICA BY:

Résumé

Interest in regional security cooperation has been growingin Africa since the late 1990s. In spite of the declared interest and the setting up of several regional security institutions on the continent, little progress has been made in rolling back or preventing the conflicts they are meant to address. Using dependency theory as a framework for analysis, this paper examines the performance of regional security integration in Central Africa. Regional security missions in the subregion have been heavily dependent on financial and technical support from donors. This dependence continues to deepen as more countries in the region descend into conflict and see their financial and technical capacities restricted. Using a qualitative research strategy, this paper explains the weak performance of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on security. Data for the study is collected using extensive literature searches. The study reveals that the nature of the post-colonial state in Central Africa explains why ECCAS continues to depend on foreign donors for its security efforts. It also shows that this dependence makes it difficult for the organisation to prioritise and effectively plan its activities.