Module code: PES7035-B
This module will provide a foundational understanding of security and politics in contemporary Africa, a key and increasingly important region of the globe. The discourse on Africa is now replete with notions of so-called Afro-optimism and Afro-pessimism in equal measure. In the face of this, you will develop knowledge of historical and theoretical contexts for a better and more nuanced understanding of the social, religious and political complexities of Africa in the twenty-first century. This will cover the end of colonialism, the emergence of nation states and the challenges of nation and state building in the region. It will also cover the most important political developments in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and will link them to what is happening in the region today. Important turning points such as decolonisation, the end of the Cold War, democratisation, the outbreak of conflicts and the onset of greater levels of international intervention from various quarters of the globe will be examined. You will be able to critically engage with theoretical approaches to the understanding of politics and security in Africa and apply these approaches to the examination of contemporary events and case studies on the continent. Download the PDF for PES7035-B_2026_7.pdf