Security sector governance in francophone West Africa: realities and opportunities

摘要

Like the rest of the continent, the history of francophone West Africa is blighted by internecine conflicts, unconstitutional changes of government including recurrent military coups, and a high rate of urban criminality. But in recent years, particularly since the dawn of this millennium, conventional armed conflicts - especially those that characterised the post-cold-war era in Africa - have diminished, giving rise to deadly transnational crimes such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling, piracy, terrorism, and money laundering. Evidently, the reduction in armed conflicts has not been accompanied by the expected peace, security and stability. Instead, the void has been filled by these new transnational threats, which are as devastating and destabilising as armed conflicts themselves.