Description
Book SynopsisMoving beyond a self-indulgent attitude about Africa's historical victimhood, the book seeks to capture how African states individually and Africa's collective institutions (the AU) are providing agency in Africa's international relations. While African states have been trailblazers in such ideas as 'The Responsibility to Protect', as conceived in the African Union Constitutive Act (2001) which preceded the United Nations (UN) Secretary General's report "In Larger Freedom" (2005) in which the UN adopted the concept, African agency in international relations has not always been captured proactively. Our volume seeks to document Africa (and African states) in a state of proactivity as opposed to a reactionary mode of international relations which has for long been the case due to the discipline's heavy concentration on the West. The main themes we include are: African agency in international relations and commerce, agency in Africa's balancing of big and regional powers, reshaping Africa-EU relations beyond the Cotonou Agreements, Africa and international human rights institutions, African efforts in elections and conflicts in Africa and relationship building among African leaders.
Table of Contents1. Conceptualising Agency and Influence in African International Relations, Elijah N. Munyi, David Mwambari and Aleksi Ylönen / 2. The Hijacked and Appropriating of African Agency in International Relations, Funmi Olonisakin / 3. Confronting an Imperialist Court: Africa's Quagmire in Dealing with the International Criminal Court, Torque Mude / 4. The Commonwealth Beckon: Clientelist Agency in Post Brexit EU-ACP Relations, Elijah N. Munyi / 5. Engaging Foreign Powers: The Changing Political Environment and Regime Survival in the Horn of Africa, Aleksi Ylönen / 6. The Role of African Union Agency in Managing Election Related Violence in Cote d'Ivoire, Tinashe Sithole / 7. Hurting Stalemate in International Interventions: An Analysis of the IGAD-Led Engagements in the South Sudan Conflict, 2013-2017, Muema Wambua / 8. Creating Sustainable Peace: The International Conference on The Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Attempts to Deal with Sexual and Gender based Violence, Anselm Wongibeh / 9. Rwanda's agency in the United Nations after 1994 Genocide, David Mwambari / 10. Innovative Remittance Transfer Channels: Improving the Impact of Global South Remittances to Kenya's National Development, Angela W. Muguna / 11. Failed Agency in Africa's Air Liberalisation; Re-examining the Youmossukro Decision, Sabina Bwire / 12. Conclusion, Munyi, Mwambari, Ylonen
