Civil-military relations in Nigeria and Tanzania : a comparative, historical analysis

[摘要] Civil-military relations play an important role in Africa as these relations strongly influence theprocesses of development and democratisation. This thesis examines civil-military relations inNigeria and Tanzania, as these two countries have experienced very different 'patterns ofinfluence, control, and subordination between the armed forces and the wider socialenvironment'. Most theories of civil-military relations have been formulated by Western scholarsand this study investigates if these theories are applicable to Nigeria and Tanzania. As only twocases are under focus, this thesis does not aim to dismiss any of the theories or to develop newtheory; rather, I suggest new aspects and factors that should be included when studying Africancivil-military relations. The theoretical framework includes theories by Huntington, Finer, andJanowitz, as well as theories by more recent scholars. After presenting the history of civilmilitaryrelations in Nigeria and Tanzania, I analyse the theories' validity in the two cases byevaluating five hypotheses based on these theoretical frameworks. The thesis concludes that eventhough the prevailing theories contain factors that are very important in the two countries and inAfrica in general, it is important to keep the specificity of African countries in mind whenstudying their civil-military relations. The domestic context and internal factors in both Nigeriaand Tanzania are very significant. The importance of identity and the economic situation shouldespecially receive more attention in theories addressing civil-military relations in Africa. There isa strong interrelationship between the various theories, and as a result a holistic approachincluding all factors, actors and aspects should be used when studying civil-military relations inAfrica and elsewhere.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University