An Effective Senegalese Military Enclave: The Armée-Nation "Rolls On". Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Matisek, Jahara
• Is Part Of: African security. Volume 12:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 62
• Page End: 86
• Publication Date: 2019-01-02
• Subjects: Senegalese Armed Forces (SAF) -- military effectiveness -- coups -- democratic transitions -- civil–military relations; National security -- Africa -- Periodicals; Security, International -- Africa -- Periodicals; Civil war -- Africa -- Periodicals; Africa -- Foreign relations -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 303.66096
• DOI: 10.1080/19392206.2019.1593004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1939-2206

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Senegal is viewed as one of the most stable countries in Africa. Many have hypothesized that this is a product of Senegalese culture, Sufi Islam, and/or French trusteeship. This article contends that Senegal has avoided civil wars and coup d'état due to a critical juncture in civil–military relations in 1962. This created a new path dependence of Armée-Nation ideology, allowing for the creation of a "military enclave"—a strong army in a weak state. Since then, the Senegalese Armed Forces developed bureaucratic-institutional competence that contributed to state-building and improved military effectiveness, all without being a threat to the state or society.