Limited war and the Ugandan experience: implications for African security

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Periodical article

Title:	Limited war and the Ugandan experience: implications for African security
Author:	Frkovich, James
Year:	2010
Periodical:	African security (ISSN 1939-2206)
Volume:	3
Issue:	3
Pages:	148-167
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Uganda
Subjects:	civil wars resistance guerrilla warfare
External link:	https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19392206.2010.503855
Abstract:	This paper demonstrates that the lessons of classical military thought can be applied to the complex political environment that exists in many African wars. In particular, it argues that Carl von Clausewitz's (1976) theory of limited war can provide a framework for understanding the unconventional nature of warfare in many African countries. The paper's central argument is that warfare in Africa tends to be limited because African governments lack the capability to fight absolute wars. This reality has caused the centre of gravity of military operations to shift from the destruction of the enemy army to the control of a relevant civilian population and requires the use of irregular strategies of warfare. The failure of many African governments to recognize this fundamental shift in the centre of gravity of military operations has resulted in lengthier wars, which have contributed to destabilization. Since the scope of the paper is limited, it analyses modern warfare in a single country, Uganda, through this lens. Notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]