William Reno (2011), Warfare in Independent Africa, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

However, very few are able to understand the transformations of war as a whole, regardless of the different national situations. Warfare in Independent Africa strives to fill this gap by synthesizing a lot of research and proposing a coherent analytical framework to account for a half-century of evolution.
 
To understand the changes in behaviour of African guerrillas from the 60s to today, William Reno focuses on two elements: the transformation of the national and international environment in which armed groups, emerging trends and the regimes they face and try to reverse. Following the thread of a half-century of history, since it shows that the 80 and 90 armed movements in Africa have adapted to  an unfavourable political context.
 
In the 60s, the national liberation movements and anti-apartheid guerrillas were able to develop a coherent ideology, discipline their fighters and produce strong institutions because they had a supportive environment. Nationalist elites that emerged at that time receive support from decolonization committees established by the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Western universities, colonial bureaucracies and socialist countries have provided so many places where these militants are trained, exchanged ideas and  obtained the necessary resources for collective action. To defeat devices as effective as military and colonial administrations, the national liberation movements were forced to set up a military branch for the performance and rigorous management of free zones.
 
Twenty years later, places of training and support to armed movements in Africa are scarce. The Universities of Dar es Salaam or Addis Ababa still played the role of catalyst  for revolts and ideas, allowing guerrillas reformist emerge in Uganda and Ethiopia. With the decline in aid of Communist countries and the refusal of the UN and the OAU to engage in the internal affairs of independent states, when only some African countries, leading an aggressive foreign policy in their neighbourhood, accepted funds and hosts of armed movements. Most guerrillas become dependent on the changes in strategies of these states and gradually lose their ideological coherence. The Ugandan, Rwandan and Ethiopian are exceptions to which the author refers to highlight fail during this time.
 
In the 90s, the international environment has become even more unfavourable to African guerrillas. Elites protesters do not have more places to socialize and organize themselves away from their leaders. The transformation of African states since the 60s condition the armed movements. Most African regimes, weakened by internal rivalries and a context of international liberalization, continue combining repressive policies and patronage. This mode of government prevents the emergence of strong institutions, and leaves large areas without simultaneous administration and night to develop any offer alternative policy in these areas. The popular discontent is therefore most elite capable of channeling grievances in an armed insurrection. Only politicians who have national and international networks, and community leaders, which turn to the population in search of safety, have the resources to provide an armed group. Although they offer no political perspective, they take advantage of the vulnerability of African states and popular discontent. To re-enable the intellectuals and ideologues to transform feelings of revolt in collective action, William Reno recommends recreating places and institutions where the elite can emerge and meet.
 
Warfare in Independent Africa can be interpreted in several ways. This book offers an analytical wars in Africa. With these numerous case studies put into context, it can be used as a textbook on the subject. Selective bibliography is particularly useful to guide the reader to references on each of the conflicts studied. Result of two decades of research, Warfare in Independent Africa is also a textbook whose methodology can inspire research into other geographical areas. Finally, it is a book of political analysis for professionals specializing in African wars. William Reno’s proposals contrast with existing strategies, which promote the status quo, often to the detriment of the rebels who offer answers to the feelings of revolt in their communities.
 
Regret, however, remains. Religious movements, including the Islamists present for a decade in West Africa, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, are not treated even when they would integrate perfectly in the analysis of William Reno. Madrassas and churches are among the few institutions capable of producing independent powers in place, a political elite with a coherent ideology. Applied to this phenomenon, Warfare in Independent Africa would better identify armed movements, very active today and still poorly understood.


Adam Baczko, PhD in Political Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, is a young researcher at IRSEM (recipient DGA / CNRS).