Go with the flow. The fluid nature of African security governance: interpreting security regime configuration(s) in CAR, Burkina Faso, and DRC

This article explores the evolving dynamics shaping African security governance. Drawing on the concept of regime complex, the study frames African security governance as a fluid system characterised by overlapping institutions and non-hierarchical interactions. Within it, the research emphasises the role of state actors in strategically selecting the institutional arenas that best align with their interests during security crises by means of forum-shopping activities. The article combines thematic and qualitative content analysis, and through the examination of three paradigmatic cases from the past decade (CAR, Burkina Faso, DRC), demonstrates how institutional overlap and rivalry led to bargaining activities among states, shaping African security regime configurations. This framework diverges from static explanations and sheds light on the unpredictability and constant negotiations that define security governance in the continent. The article enriches the debate on African IR by offering an analytical tool to study the continental security regime complex(es).