Securitization outside of the West: conceptualizing the securitization–neo-patrimonialism nexus in Africa

Abstract

Securitization is arguably the most successful theoretical framework to analyse security beyond the military confines with the nation state as the dominant actor within the international system. Amongst the critical voices, securitization has become the gold standard for analysing emerging challenges, such as migration, terrorism, human security, intra-state and cross-border issues, as well as environmental challenges. Yet, despite its broadening agenda, the framework has also been accused of a Western bias with a Western political context and democratic governance structure at its heart. This article aims to re-conceptualise the framework in a way that suits a non-Western context better, notably by re-conceptualising the securitization-neopatrimonialism nexus in Africa, which gives us significant new insights into non-Western political contexts. It analyses the securitization processes among the political elites in a neo-patrimonial statehood. It further stretches the conceptualisation of securitization into African statehood, characterised by a blurred line between the leader and the state.

The Copenhagen School goes global: securitisation in the Non-West

“…The fifth article by Edwin Ezeokafor and Christian Kaunert (2018) looks at the role of securitisation in Africa and the nexus between securitisation and neopatrimonialism. Ezeokafor and Kaunert use securitisation as a mechanism through which relations between leaders (elites) and societies can be better understood, arguing that a greater level of context and better synthesis between securitisation and neopatrimonialism is required for an accurate understanding of political life across Africa.…”