Beacon or Burden: An Analysis of Rwandan Regional Security Assistance

Following polemic foreign interventions and private military deployments, one state in Africa provides a seemingly novel and effective solution to the lack of military capacity faced by many in the Central and Eastern African region. Mitigating non-state armed actors, protecting international assets while maintaining strict guiding institutions within the force, the Rwandan Defence Force seems to have reshaped both itself, and the nature of African bilateral security arrangements. In a context where mineral and energy extraction often precludes civilian wellbeing and contributions, this paper aims to integrate a security studies reform (SSR) perspective into its research. This research aims to reveal “How has Rwandan security assistance reshaped regional security for civilians in Eastern and Central Africa from 1993?”, through a comprehensive literature review on historical and contemporary African security paradigms, and a qualitatively researched congruence analysis framework....Show moreFollowing polemic foreign interventions and private military deployments, one state in Africa provides a seemingly novel and effective solution to the lack of military capacity faced by many in the Central and Eastern African region. Mitigating non-state armed actors, protecting international assets while maintaining strict guiding institutions within the force, the Rwandan Defence Force seems to have reshaped both itself, and the nature of African bilateral security arrangements. In a context where mineral and energy extraction often precludes civilian wellbeing and contributions, this paper aims to integrate a security studies reform (SSR) perspective into its research. This research aims to reveal “How has Rwandan security assistance reshaped regional security for civilians in Eastern and Central Africa from 1993?”, through a comprehensive literature review on historical and contemporary African security paradigms, and a qualitatively researched congruence analysis framework. Underlining the pre-existent structure of African military apparatus and the threats that they have been built to address allows us to conceptualise the state that regional security embodied. By thoroughly exploring the nascent and modern application of Rwandan assistance, we may begin to remodel not only the post-genocide Rwandan military, but the very mettle of African security dynamics. Understanding the Realist, Liberal and Constructivist tendencies of Rwandan security assistance to both local and global actors remains crucial in mitigating potential conflicts of interest, while ensuring an equitable outcome for human security.Show less

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Beacon or Burden: An Analysis of Rwandan Regional Security Assistance