▁be ▁become ▁a ▁pre text ▁for ▁suppress ing ▁unf avor able ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁views . ▁In ▁the ▁US , ▁for ▁example , ▁the ▁controvers ial ▁USA ▁Patri ot ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁revel ation ▁by ▁Edward ▁Snow den ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁that ▁the ▁National ▁Security ▁Agency ▁har v ests ▁the ▁personal ▁data ▁of ▁the ▁general ▁public , ▁brought ▁these ▁issues ▁to ▁wide ▁public ▁attention . ▁Among ▁the ▁questions ▁raised ▁are ▁whether ▁and ▁how ▁national ▁security ▁consider ations ▁at ▁times ▁of ▁war ▁should ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁supp ression ▁of ▁individual ▁rights ▁and ▁fre ed oms , ▁and ▁whether ▁such ▁restrictions ▁are ▁necessary ▁when ▁a ▁state ▁is ▁not ▁at ▁war . ▁ ▁Country - by - country ▁pers pect ives ▁ ▁Africa ▁ ▁Con cept ual izing ▁and ▁understanding ▁the ▁National ▁Security ▁choices ▁and ▁challeng es ▁of ▁African ▁States ▁is ▁a ▁difficult ▁task . ▁This ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁not ▁root ed ▁in ▁the ▁understanding ▁of ▁their ▁( most ly ▁dis rupted ) ▁state ▁formation ▁and ▁their ▁often ▁imported ▁process ▁of ▁state ▁building . ▁ ▁Although ▁Post - C old ▁War ▁concept ual izations ▁of ▁Security ▁have ▁bro aden ed , ▁the ▁policies ▁and ▁practices ▁of ▁many ▁African ▁states ▁still ▁privile ge ▁national ▁security ▁as ▁being ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁state ▁security ▁and ▁even ▁more ▁narrow ly - ▁regime ▁security . ▁ ▁The ▁problem ▁with ▁the ▁above ▁is ▁that ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁African ▁states ▁( be ▁specific ) ▁have ▁been ▁unable