Case studies of models of policing in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Namibia, Somalia, Uganda, and Zaire offer a prism from which to view state-society relations in 1990s Africa, where political power has been closely tied to the role of the police. Hills (defense studies, the Joint Services Command and Staff College) explores the little-studied impact of steps toward liberalization on policing systems, and on the relationship between those systems and postcolonial national development. She also addresses special problems facing reconstructed states: e.g. the prevalence of low-intensity conflicts, UN and NGO involvement, and differing concepts of liberalization and professionalism.