This book reviews the intrusion of the armed forces in African politics by examining contemporary armies and their impact on society. It revisits the various explanations of military takeovers in Africa and disentangles the notion of the military as a progressive force. The study argues the necessity of new civil-military relations in Africa, calling for a democratic oversight of the security forces.

Introduction; Chapter 1 Conceptual and Theoretical Issues; Chapter 2 Civil-Military Relations in Africa; Chapter 3 Explaining Army Intrusion in African Politics; Chapter 4 The African Military and Modernization; Chapter 5 The Performance of Civilian and Military Regimes; Chapter 6 Towards New Civil-Military Relations in Africa; Chapter 7 Legitimacy and Democratic Oversight of the Security Sector in Africa; Chapter 101 Conclusion;

Mathurin C. Houngnikpo, The Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, USA