Indigenous African Warfare is a contribution to the enhancement and enrichment of contemporary military professional and academic studies, including its assignment in graduate courses in African history. It is a theoretical study of that military art and science using Ghana and parts of present-day West Africa as a case study. It first attempts to present a structured approach to the study of the concept and art of African indigenous warfare, including its contestations with colonial entities. It also aims to help correct the fundamental misconception that such warfare owed to or evolved only after contacts with Europeans. Finally, it seeks to rejuvenate the study of indigenous warfare and raise its profile in the study of modern warfare.
The book was first self-published under the imprint of Ulinzi Africa Publishing (UAP) Solutions in 2010 and launched at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in May 2011.
Given the appeal of the book for professional military studies by the Ghana Armed Forces and other national, regional international institutions and organisations, the Indigenous African Warfare was reprinted in December 2016.
It is available at the University of Ghana, Legon, Bookshop
Original excerpts on the book:
‘… [R]eaders – including researchers, teachers and students – will discover useful pieces of information that will confirm the pertinence of Indigenous African Warfare and its thematic implications… Indigenous African Warfare has a timely place in the annals of African military history, and I recommend it highly to all’.
– Prof A B Assensoh, African–American and African Diaspora Studies (AAADS) Department Indiana University-Bloomington Campus, USA
Festus Aboagye is one of the most brilliant and highly professional officers who ever served in the Ghana Armed Forces. His vast experience in conflict management continues to be an immense asset to the African continent. His very well researched maiden book, The Ghana Army is authentic and served as an invaluable reference material to the National Reconciliation Commission instituted by the Ghana government (2002–04). Indigenous African Warfare is a comprehensive and an exceptionally well documented book and should fi ll the lacuna in the study of our indigenous national and African military history.
– Lieutenant General E A Erskine (Retired), First Force Commander, UNIFIL and Former Commander, Ghana Army
This book fills a huge gap in our understanding of the military history of West Africa and throws new light on many previously neglected areas. Its analyses are also highly relevant to present day conflicts. Its author, a highly experienced retired soldier of the Ghana Armed Forces, brings his own extensive military understanding to this groundbreaking work.
– Malcolm Donald Mcleod, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Research Associate, the Hunterian Museum (Glasgow University) and Trustee of the National Museums of Scotland
There are several similarities in the belief systems, motivations and operational concepts of the old indigenous forms of conflicts and the contemporary post-Cold War intra-state conflicts, especially within Africa. The Indigenous African Warfare is a book that should be read by potential mission leaders–civilian, military, police and humanitarian actors – for useful insights and lessons towards the management and resolution of internecine conflicts’.
– Lieutenant General (Retired) Daniel Ishmael Opande, Former Force Commander UNMIL and UNAMSIL
‘…Festus seeks to collate and reinterpret the scattered existing works on indigenous military history…he goes well beyond that by adding new areas of research, such as the gender dimensions of military organisation and warfare, and military budgeting, while establishing important parallels in logics. Going by his earlier works, one should expect a highly readable text.’
– Prof Eboe Hutchful, African Security Sector Network (ASSN)
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