CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN POLITICS

Contemporary African Politics

Contemporary African Politics

Reflective Reading Notes on “The meaning of a militia: Understanding the civil defence forces Sierra Leone”.

The article “The meaning of a militia: Understanding the civil defense forces Sierra Leone” is a narrative and adapted version of an specialist observer report written by the author Danny Hoffman in favor of the Defense of the one charged facing the Sierra Leone's court. In opposition, the case of the Civil Defense militia Forces was asserted in division on the quarrel that the Civil Defense Forces was an armed association with military approach control and command. Along with that this article also explains that the civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia were strongly tangled since the war in Liberia was mainly a consequence of the years of combating in Sierra Leone, which itself was an continuation of the Liberian clash started in 1989. While highlighted by the TRC for Sierra Leone, the permeable border between the two states was a basis of unsteadiness for the entire area. According to Hoffman, between the years 1991 and 1997 Liberia was not capable of monitoring its border with Sierra Leone. The permeable border condition promoted the easy flow of logistical support and arms for the rebellious from Liberia into Sierra Leone and the stream of burgled stuff and illegal diamonds from Sierra Leone into Liberia. And thus, in 1997 when Taylor became Liberia's president, Liberia allowed herself to be utilized as a medium for the transfer of ammunitions and arms in Sierra Leone to the RUF.

Thus, on the basis of a serious analysis of the military trial specialist witness statement and the research by the author with the militia, this study summarizes a scenario for knowing the Civil Defense Forces as the armed force of a community network instead of an armed organization (Hoffman, 2007, pp.218).

Reflective Reading Notes on “The Fallacy of the Failed State”.

The article “The Fallacy of the Failed State” examines the genesis and development of the notions of 'failing' and 'failed' states, quarrelling that these words have come to be employed in such extensively deviating and challenging ways that they have mislaid any usefulness. This article defines six critical issues with the word 'state failure' and associated terms like 'troubled' or 'fragile' states, finishing that the analysts must discard these terms. The author also explains that the idea of the failure of state has become most important ...