European Intervention in Africa

Abstract

The book has surveyed thirty years of interventions in Africa. Chapter seven is divided into three sections. It first gives an assessment of the most appropriate theoretical approaches for understanding motives of European military intervention in Africa. The second section highlights the importance of EU state control of military intervention, and argues that EU actors are likely to remain motivated by security interests and prestige, to the detriment of humanitarian motives. It looks at the implications of this for Africa in international relations: African states and organizations will continue to be needed to address security concerns of European actors, but their economic relations with European actors are likely to be reduced. As expected by the decolonizing school, African states are likely to become more prominent security and economic actors within the African Union in order to address conflicts and economic problems in Africa. The final section offers a more optimistic analysis of how humanitarian concerns could drive European intervention for both better and equal relations with African actors, and for improved security (with less economic violence) in Africa and Europe.