When soldiers rebel : ethnic armies and political instability in Africa / Kristen A. Harkness.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harkness, Kristen A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethnic conflict--Political aspects--Africa, Sub-Saharan.

Ethnic conflict.

Political stability--Africa, Sub-Saharan.

Political stability.

Africa, Sub-Saharan--Armed Forces--Political aspects.

Africa, Sub-Saharan.

Africa, Sub-Saharan--Ethnic relations--Political aspects.

Africa, Sub-Saharan--Politics and government--1960-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 267 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Summary:

Military coups are a constant threat in Africa and many former military leaders are now in control of 'civilian states', yet the military remains understudied, especially over the last decade. Drawing on extensive archival research, cross-national data, and four in-depth comparative case studies, When Soldiers Rebel examines the causes of military coups in post-independence Africa and looks at the relationship between ethnic armies and political instability in the region. Kristen A. Harkness argues that the processes of creating and dismantling ethnically exclusionary state institutions engenders organized and violent political resistance. Focusing on rebellions to protect rather than change the status quo, Harkness sheds light on a mechanism of ethnic violence that helps us understand both the motivations and timing of rebellion, and the rarity of group rebellion in the face of persistent political and economic inequalities along ethnic lines.

Contents:

Ethnicity, military patronage, and soldier rebellion

Statistical tests: ethnic armies and the coup d'état

Building ethnic armies: Cameroon and Sierra Leone

Creating inclusive armies: Senegal and Ghana

Dismantling ethnic armies: African militaries and democratization.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 31 Aug 2018).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-108-52634-9

1-108-50031-5

1-108-52748-5