ABSTRACT
The post-colonial history of Africa is replete with the intervention of the military in domestic politics through coups d’etat that overthrow constitutional rule and democratic governance. African militaries are increasingly participating in international and regional peacekeeping operations. In general, post-colonial Africa has been a hot bed for military coups. The prevailing external, and in particular, the general socio-political, economic and underdevelopment conditions predisposed the continent to military interventions. The involvement of African militaries in the politics of decline and bad governance has created and/or instigated fundamental grievances that have fuelled political violence, instability, wars and armed conflicts, in some cases hastening the failure and collapse of the state. In addition, African militaries have been exposed to a range of bilateral and multilateral training programmes geared towards building their professionalism, capacity and effectiveness. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
