State Fragility and Neoliberalism in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century

Proceedings of The 4th International Conference on Social Sciences in the 21st Century

Year: 2022

DOI:

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State Fragility and Neoliberalism in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21^st Century

Silethemba Medelline Guta

ABSTRACT: 

The paper examines the concept of state fragility in the wake of the neoliberal global agenda in the 21^st Century, and reviewing the history of Sub-Saharan Countries. Furthermore the paper explores the vulnerability theory as a unit of analysis to the conditions of the state, government policy and standards of life. Neoliberalism and the Washington consensus in their operation have conditions such as deregulation, privatization and currency devaluation which leaves the state vulnerable to shocks and stresses thereby causing political instability. In trying to solve the problem of state fragility the international community has prescribed democracy, elections and rule of law. However the solution has been eluded by the challenges that the nations are facing. Rule of law has proved to be a challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa over the years as there is abuse of power and leadership irregularities. It is then by this way that the paper is structured to establish were nations in Sub-Saharan are going in terms of development and their relations with the international community.

keywords: Demagoguery; Democracy; Vulnerability Theory; International Aid Organizations; Washington Consensus.