Citation

Schoeman M, Muller M. Afr. Secur. 2009; 2(2-3): 175-192.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/19362200903362083

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article pays attention to the ability of Southern African Development Community as a subregional organization to provide peace and security within and between its members, using the conflicts and interventions in Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as case studies. It pays particular attention to the differences between official versions of involvement and operational experiences and to whose security is protected?that of states, or that of the people (human security)? It concludes that although the Southern African Development Community region cannot be described as a zone of war, there is nevertheless no genuine capacity for promoting the well-being of the people of the region and that the Southern African Development Community is inherently a sovereignty-boosting form of regional governance rather than an ascending security community.