The African Way of War

LTC Jospeh Guido, US Army Africa Command

If there is a “Western Way of War” or an “American Way of War,” is there an “African Way of War?” Is there something unique or distinct about war in Africa? If so, what are the unique characteristics of war in Africa? If not, is there such a thing as a “Way of War” and are contemporary intellectual frameworks of war sufficient to understand modern conflicts? What does contemporary conflict in Africa tell us about our understanding of war? Join American Army Officer Joseph Guido for a discussion about modern wars in Africa ranging from Northern Mali & Niger to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. This discussion highlights the non-state or intrastate elements of contemporary conflicts, specifically non-state violent groups including terrorists, insurgents, and criminals.
 
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Guido is a US Army Sub-Saharan Foreign Area Officer currently serving as the Director of Security Cooperation at US Army Africa Command in Vicenza, Italy and has more than 19 years of diplomatic, special operations, military intelligence, infantry, and corporate security experience. He is the author of Terrorist Sanctuary in the Sahara from the Strategic Studies Institute (2017) and the forthcoming “The American Way of War in Africa” from Small Wars and Insurgencies Journal and has lectured numerous times on security challenges in Africa.

The Ethics and Security Seminar Series is run in conjunction with the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics