Tactical communication: mutiny as a dialogue in West and Central Africa

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Periodical article

Title:	Tactical communication: mutiny as a dialogue in West and Central Africa
Author:	Dwyer, Maggie
Year:	2015
Periodical:	Africa Spectrum (ISSN 0002-0397)
Volume:	50
Issue:	1
Pages:	5-23
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	West Africa Central Africa
Subjects:	rebellions armed forces civil-military relations
External link:	https://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/afsp/article/view/826
Abstract:	This article expands the understanding of the objectives of mutinies through an analysis of trends in tactics. It explores actions within mutinies through a review of 66 cases of mutiny from 1960 to 2012 in West and Central Africa. Despite wide variations in context among these mutinies, there are remarkable similarities in the tactics used by mutineers in the region and across time. These commonalities challenge the popular image of African mutinies as chaotic or devoid of strategy. The article demonstrates that the most common tactics used by mutineers in West and Central Africa all serve to open a dialogue with leadership and provide a platform for soldiers to vocalize their expectations in an environment that intentionally stifles the voices of the junior members. It suggests mutiny be viewed as an act of communication rather than merely a form of insubordination. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in English and German. [Journal abstract]