ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the concept and modern practice of collective security in general and analyzes the various attempts that have been undertaken in Africa. It focuses on the emerging challenges and prospects for collective security in Africa in the coming decades. Collective security is predicated on a treaty that encourages member states to resolve their differences peacefully, and by the same token authorizes them to adopt collective coercive measures, including the use of force against a recalcitrant member. While a collective security system may endure much longer, a collective defence system simply becomes obsolete and irrelevant when the predefined enemy disappears. The relationship between collective security and collective conflict management may be that the deployment of the latter signifies the non-existence or the failure of the former in the prevention of a conflict. Most economic and development-oriented organizations in Africa see security as an unquantifiable requirement and as a basis for any meaningful development projects.
