ABSTRACT
Arms control is to be seen as a strategy for dealing with the "security dilemma," a strategy aimed at preventing war by reducing crisis instabilities and tensions arising out of the very existence of weapons and arms races. When there is talk of confidence-building measures confidence- and security-building measures (CSBMs), the model implicitly or explicitly underlying such exchanges is that of European arms control. The readiness to agree confidence-building measures for Europe, within the framework of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe process, was founded on two crucial preconditions: recognition of the territorial status quo and the military stalemate between East and West. Compared to the classical security dilemma, the "insecurity dilemma" has paradoxical consequences, particularly in Africa. Appended is a draft proposal containing a detailed description of a CSBMs regime applicable to the area covered by the Southern African Development Community states. Broadly speaking, the purpose of CSBMs is to provide reassurance by making intentions explicit.
