ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with national security in Africa is largely a development and a consequence of decolonization. Thus most African countries have had fewer than twenty years in which to develop national-security policies. For Africans, national security became a major policy consideration only after the African colonial territories acquired independence and sovereignty. National security involves the protection of vital national interests against possible external threat or challenge and entails the extension and promotion of national values—independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and a political and economic way of life. African states frequently lack a clear demarcation between internal and external security in their policymaking. This problem arises because of a lack of trained personnel with long experience in security policymaking and management. Some African countries try to supplement the military armament by entering into security arrangements with other states.
