ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines broadly the variety of challenges that are likely to confront military forces of African states in the near future, relating the challenges to the developmental needs of those forces. It examines the general categories of threat addressing as well the issue of what types of capabilities African militaries will need to cope with them. Political scientists have been fascinated by the political role of African militaries. Tensions between a number of African states are evident, and these states cannot avoid being appropriately prepared to protect their own security. Obviously, most states will benefit in the long run if they eschew the use of overt aggressive acts against other African states and depend on regional or continental nonaggression pacts and mutual defense treaties to enforce the peace. African states face a variety of dangerous situations that will test their capacity for defense.
