Transboundary conservation and militarized interstate disputes

Borderland migration, mining and transfrontier conservation: questions of belonging along the Zimbabwe–Mozambique border

“…The quest for a model for biodiversity conservation that promotes cooperation-and that could replace the legacies of conflict and fortress conservation in southern Africa-has led both regional policymakers and foreign donors to champion transboundary natural resource governance as a solution (Barquet et al 2014). The rationality brought forward is that transboundary conservation areas can resuscitate local economic development whilst maintaining sustainable natural resources management (Draper et al 2004).…”

Governance, ‘sovereignty-state-territory triad’, human population migration and xenophobia in (South) Africa

“…Current conservation practices in Africa have remained inherently colonialised and preservationist, sustaining old conflicts and brewing new ones in the governance of natural capital in borderlands (van Amerom & Buscher, 2005;Torri, 2011;Kaszynska et al, 2012;Kark et al, 2015), thereby frustrating the potential for spatial socialisation of local communities on both sides of the socio-political boundaries. Thus, the notion of African Renaissance and the revaluation of African cultures has equally been a quest for borderless natural landscapes of biomass, creating bioregions for international security and peace (van Amerom & Buscher, 2005;Pool, 2006;Barquet et al, 2014;Kark et al, 2015). But acceptance of the notion of internationalisation is itself an admission of the separation imposed by geopolitical boundaries on the landscapes of habitats and migration.…”

“…But acceptance of the notion of internationalisation is itself an admission of the separation imposed by geopolitical boundaries on the landscapes of habitats and migration. Barquet et al (2014) state that the adoption of the phrase "Peace Parks" in Africa provides evidence of the transformation intent expressed in the notion of African Renaissance, which is driven through a pan-African vision of reuniting a continent artificially divided by colonial powers. The popularity of the concept of "Peace Parks" in the mid-1990s and its enforced connection to African Renaissance gave a false impression of being African in origin (van Amerom & Buscher, 2005;Muzeza, Schuttle & Snyman, 2013;Kark et al, 2015;Sibanda, 2015).…”

African societies, nation-states, governance, human migration, xenophobia and cultural contestations: Editorial framing

“…Thus, questions of the coexistence of ideals such as constitutional democracy, culture of human rights, multiculturalism and inclusivity with violent abuses and senseless killings of African immigrants in South Africa have to be raised. Importantly, South African political elite has championed the vision of African Renaissance, which should be founded on the ideals of pan-Africanism such as continental unity, reaffirmation of African cultures, emancipation, cooperation, sustainable economic development and democratisation (van Amerom & Buscher, 2005Muzeza, Schuttle & Snyman, 2013Barquet et al, 2014;Kark et al, 2015;Sibanda, 2015). Also, the recent hype about the Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) or "Peace Parks" raised hopes of building peace and security in the continent, especially in Southern Africa (van Amerom & Buscher, 2005;Martin et al, 2011;Muzeza, Schuttle & Snyman, 2013;Barquet et al, 2014;Kark et al, 2015;Sibanda, 2015).…”

“…Importantly, South African political elite has championed the vision of African Renaissance, which should be founded on the ideals of pan-Africanism such as continental unity, reaffirmation of African cultures, emancipation, cooperation, sustainable economic development and democratisation (van Amerom & Buscher, 2005Muzeza, Schuttle & Snyman, 2013Barquet et al, 2014;Kark et al, 2015;Sibanda, 2015). Also, the recent hype about the Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) or "Peace Parks" raised hopes of building peace and security in the continent, especially in Southern Africa (van Amerom & Buscher, 2005;Martin et al, 2011;Muzeza, Schuttle & Snyman, 2013;Barquet et al, 2014;Kark et al, 2015;Sibanda, 2015). In practice, though, the establishment of "Peace Parks" was based on the securitisation of wildlife conservation that enables Western economic philosophy of capital accumulation by dispossession of lands of the most vulnerable sections of the population whilst simultaneously characterising "others", specifically African immigrants, as dangerously armed poachers and enemies of the nation-state (van Amerom & Buscher, 2005;Martin et al, 2011;Massé & Lunstrum, 2015).…”