ABSTRACT
The peoples of Subsaharan African states are divided horizontally by language, culture, and religion. In some states, these divisions remained subterranean during the colonial era. Many factors may contribute to the lack of stability in African states: economic problems and military intervention, to mention only two. Nevertheless, inter-ethnic and sometimes religious conflicts can be seen as major sources of disagreement. The problem of security in Africa has manifested itself in many levels of instability and in many types of internal strife. Security problems have surfaced in the form of demands for self-determination, territorial claims, and crises in political leadership. Ethnic and geoethnic parochialism deepened as elites of various groups competed to inherit political power. The return to civilian rule in Uganda on multi-party principles of democracy raised hope for stability and security in a country that had been ravaged by military intervention.
