Publication

This paper provides a literature review and analysis on military-to-civilian conversion in Africa. Presenting a diagrammatic conceptual framework based on the principal causes of conflict (ideological, ethnic, religious, and so on), the authors, specifically addressing the problems of Sub-Saharan Africa, examine trends in military expenditure and personnel in past decades, with a particular focus on the frequency of conflict and the burden placed on populations through the re-allocation of scarce resources to the military. They conclude that the end of the Cold War has brought both new challenges and new opportunities to the region, and that the crucial policies of demobilizing and reintegrating former military personnel must be reflective of political commitment and planning, with sufficient financial, technical, and material resources available to bring such policies forward.