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Stability in Cold War Africa

Stability in Cold War Africa. External Colonial Interests and Involvement Superpower Competition Pan-African The Organization of African Unity (OAU) Pledge Respect Colonial Borders Non-interference Domestic Authoritarian Regimes Reasonable Economic Growth (1960s and 1970s).

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Stability in Cold War Africa

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  1. Stability in Cold War Africa • External • Colonial Interests and Involvement • Superpower Competition • Pan-African • The Organization of African Unity (OAU) Pledge • Respect Colonial Borders • Non-interference • Domestic • Authoritarian Regimes • Reasonable Economic Growth (1960s and 1970s). • Result: Relative Stability in Africa • Very “Mearsheimer-esque”

  2. Anarchy in Post Cold War Africa • External: Withdrawal of US and Soviet Support • Regional: Very Weak Regional Institutions • Domestic: • Collapse of State Authority and Transitions to New Political Regimes. • Economic Collapse—Negative Per Capita GDP Growth during 1980s and 1990s. • Emergence of Pervasive Conflict. • Also Very “Mearsheimer-esque”

  3. Three Paths To Stability • Regional Integration • OAU, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) • External Intervention • Internal Balance of Power

  4. Zaire: The Mobutu Regime • Mobutu the Dictator, 1965-1990 • US Support as Bulwark Against Socialism in Africa. • End of Cold War Ends Support • Economic Collapse • GDP growth negative since 1989, estimated at -8.0 percent in 1992. • Political Collapse Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu waza Banga, or, The all-conquering warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, will go from conquest to conquest leaving fire in his wake

  5. War in the Democratic Republic of Congo • Precipitating Causes Lie in 1994 Rwandan Conflict. • Refugees and Hutu Extremists in Zaire • Rwanda and Uganda join Forces with Zairian Tutsis to Overthrow Mobutu

  6. Install Laurent Kabila as President of Democratic Republic of Congo • Kabila Alienates Domestic Support, and Does Not Control Hutu Extremists • Rwanda and Uganda Begin to Support Congolese Union for Democracy (RCD) Against Kabila Laurent Kabila

  7. Angola Supports Kabila • Involved in Civil War with UNITA • Mobutu had supported UNITA, thus Angolan Government Supports Kabila and UNITA supports the RCD

  8. Namibia: Allied with Angola, thus Fighting in support of Kabila • Zimbabwe: Rivalry with Rwanda and Uganda, thus Fighting in support of Kabila

  9. 700,000 Refugees • 2 Million Dead (?) • Ceasefire, July 1999 • UN Peacekeepers Put in Place (5,537) • Fighting Continues

  10. Bigger Point 1 • Collapse of the Cold War Created Anarchic Environment in Large Parts of Africa. • Lack Effective Regional Institutions. • Conducive to Balance of Power Politics. • Increasing Importance of the United Nations.

  11. Bigger Point 3 • Mearsheimer Right, but for the Wrong Continent? • In the Absence of the Liberal Conditions • Prosperity • Representative Democracy • Institutions The End of the Cold War has Ushered in a Period of Anarchy in African Politics. What Can Be Done?

  12. Finally, Where Was the UN? • During the War, Role Restricted to Humanitarian Aid • Since the War, Involved in Peacekeeping and Peacemaking • What About Rwanda? • Implications for Liberal Vision?

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