Violence &amp; social order beyond the state: Somalia &amp; Angola

Bakonyi, Jutta; Stuvøy, Kirsti

doi:10.1080/03056240500329379

Cited by 67 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…This is the case of Somalia, where pre-colonial clan system continued to exist throughout the period of both British and Italian domination, as well as after the political unification of the country in the 1960s and the accession of the communist regime of Said Barre. 32 A quite similar dynamic is seen in Chechnya. Although affiliation to teips 33 garnered a symbolic significance in the 1960s, the customary laws (âdats) continued to provide a form of rule for the Chechens while relegating the Soviet judicial system to a secondary role.…”

Section: Alternative Forms Of Governance Beyond the Statesupporting

confidence: 53%

Rethinking Terrorist Safe Havens: Beyond a State-Centric Approach

Campana

Ducol

2011

Civil Wars

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Over the last decade, the term safe haven has stirred controversy both in the political arena as well as in the academic literature. Several authors have emphasised the imprecise and commonly ill-conceived use of this terminology. This article intends to provide a fresh analytical framework to better understand the notion of terrorist safe haven. Rejecting the orthodox state-centric approach that envisions terrorist safe havens solely in their static and territorial dimensions, we focus rather on the social dynamics that characterise these spaces. We contend that although they might appear socially fragmented, these geographical areas are ruled by alternative modes of governance that impose a form of social order regulating interactions among actors. We use the concept of 'social space' to capture the framework in which social interactions between local actors are taking place. While we recognise that the social order that governs a given social space imposes constraints for actors, we contend that it can be subjected to internal contestation, opening a series of opportunities for transnational terrorist networks. We then try to highlight how terrorist groups might take advantage of these internal dynamics and create new ones to ensnare some local actors into forming alliances with them. This article addresses several case studies to further illustrate the theoretical discussion. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the importance of interpersonal relationships between local and transnational actors. While this article proposes a preliminary analysis of the question, it opens up new research avenues in conceptualising why and how some regions have come to attract transnational terrorist groups.

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Section: Alternative Forms Of Governance Beyond the Statesupporting

confidence: 53%

Rethinking Terrorist Safe Havens: Beyond a State-Centric Approach

Campana

Ducol

2011

Civil Wars

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“…Surprisingly, even in southern Somalia, political orders backed by force and based on warlord rule emerged throughout the 1990s (Bakonyi and Stuvøy, 2005). Somali warlords mostly drew their support from clan militias and related businessmen.…”

Section: Southern Somaliamentioning

confidence: 99%

Failures of the state failure debate: Evidence from the Somali territories

Hagmann

Hoehne

2008

J of Intl Development

111

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Much of the current literature on state failure and collapse suffers from serious conceptual flaws. It ignores the variegated types of empirical statehood that exist on the ground, it conflates the absence of a central government with anarchy, it creates an unhelpful distinction between 'accomplished' and 'failed' states, and it is guided by a teleological belief in the convergence of all nation-states. Particularly African states figure prominently in this debate and are frequently portrayed in almost pathological terms. Proposing a comparative analysis of politics in the Somali inhabited territories of the Horn of Africa, this article challenges state failure discourses on both theoretical and empirical grounds. We draw attention to the multiple processes of state-building and forms of statehood that have emerged in Somalia, and the neighbouring Somalia region of Ethiopia, since 1991. The analysis of the different trajectories of these Somali political orders reveals that state formation in Africa contradicts central tenets of the state failure debate and that external state-building interventions should recognise and engage with sub-national political entities. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…Many war lords enjoy a real degree of local legitimacy and are at least partially responsive to the demands of the population. A fair number of militias, ''self-defense units'' and rebel movements within supposed failed states do engage in complicated interactions with communities involving taxation, administration and security-delivery, thereby broadening local livelihood options (Bakonyi & Stuvoy, 2005). Similarly, it is a myth that ''anarchy'' automatically produces terrorist safe-havens or the breeding grounds for extremism.…”

Section: Analyzing the Situation In Somaliamentioning

confidence: 99%