Conflicted identities

Abstract

South Africa is an emerging power with competing and often conflicting regional and international identities. On the one hand, it identifies itself with Western liberal order norms and values of democracy, human rights and the responsibility to protect, while on the other, it strives to identify with pan-African ideals of ‘African Renaissance’ and ‘African Solutions for Africa’s Problems’ that are opposed to Western interventionism and influence on African states. Caught in between the North–South conflict of ideas, South Africa’s foreign policy behaviour on issues regarding security, human rights and justice arguably reflect diverse but contradictory emphases. Analysing South Africa’s foreign security behaviour in Africa, this chapter employs the concept of ‘self-other’ identity formation to first examine whether South Africa’s designation as an ‘emerging power’ has exacerbated its identity dilemma – inhibiting its ability to exercise regional leadership in Africa. Second, the chapter assesses the impact of controversies emanating from its identity dilemma on the United States’ security policy in Africa. It then concludes by assessing whether these controversies are limiting or enhancing cooperation between the United States and South Africa on security in Africa.