Rented sovereignty: The hidden costs of donor-funded security

ATMIS

African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops during a routine drill in Beletweyne, Somalia on November 23, 2022.

Photo credit: Pool

The promise of independence from colonialism was that Africans would have control over their territory, revenue and means of force.

Yet, six decades on, security remains the domain where authority is most fragile. Real power often lies not in national governments or parliaments but in donor accounts and foreign capitals.