Book Review: African Realism? International Relations Theory and Africa's Wars in the Postcolonial Era

African Realism? International Relations Theory and Africa's Wars in the Postcolonial Era by Errol Henderson London : Rowman & Littlefield , 2015. Pp. 316. £51·95 (hbk).

Reviews

The dominant strains of international relations theory have an Africa problem. This is the central argument of Errol Henderson's provocative new book, African Realism? International Relations Theory and Africa's Wars in the Postcolonial Era. Henderson criticises the application of extant realist, neorealist and liberal theory to African international relations on the grounds that these bodies of theory tacitly assume Weberian definitions of statehood and focus on the interactions between territorially sovereign entities with clearly defined and defended borders, effective rule of law, professional militaries subject to central political control, and economic exchanges occurring in 'legitimate' markets. Henderson argues the legacy of colonialism was to create state institutions that made borders inviolate but undermined effective rule of law and the creation of durable, Weberian state institutions. Rather, the African state that emerged was neopatrimonial in nature, in which authority is achieved and...