The Nordic Africa Institute
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Security without sabre-rattling : counteracting increased militarisation in Africa
No full textLack of resources makes the African Union dependent on external funding for military support and peacebuilding. Policy makers who want to support the AU and its members in their efforts to avoid becoming pieces in external powers’ geopolitical puzzle, should promote non-military solutions to security challenges
Rival priorities in the Sahel : finding the balance between security and development
No full textThe G5 Sahel initiative goes some way to make up for the lack of supranational coordination in the troubled Sahel region. If moulded in the interests of development, it could bring about positive change. But the initiative risks becoming yet another excuse to get more ‘boots on the ground’, if external stakeholders place too much emphasis on fighting terror and stopping migration
Africa’s mineral economies : breaking their dependence on mining
No full textThe dependence of many African economies on a few mineral commodities exposes them to a number of risks, including economic instability, conflict and damaging environmental effects. Structural, institutional and regulatory reforms are needed to break the mineral dependence and promote economic diversification
Violence in African elections : between democracy and Big Man politics
No full textMultiparty elections have become the bellwether by which all democracies are judged, and the spread of these systems across Africa has been widely hailed as a sign of the continent’s progress towards stability and prosperity. But such elections bring their own challenges, particularly the often intense internecine violence following disputed results.While the consequences of such violence can be profound, undermining the legitimacy of the democratic process and in some cases plunging countries into civil war or renewed dictatorship, little is known about the causes. By mapping, analysing and comparing instances of election violence in different localities across Africa – including Kenya, Ivory Coast and Uganda – this collection of detailed case studies sheds light on the underlying dynamics and sub-national causes behind electoral conflicts, revealing them to be the result of a complex interplay between democratisation and the older, patronage-based system of ‘Big Man’ politics. Essential for scholars and policymakers across the social sciences and humanities interested in democratization, peace-keeping and peace studies, Violence in African Elections provides important insights into why some communities prove more prone to electoral violence than others, offering practical suggestions for preventing violence through improved electoral monitoring, voter education, and international assistance.CONTENTS: Introduction: The Everyday Politics of Electoral Violence in Africa / Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs -- 1. Ethnic Politics and Elite Competition: The Roots of Electoral Violence in Kenya / Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund -- 2. Wielding the Stick Again: The Rise and Fall and Rise of State Violence during Presidential Elections in Uganda / Anders Sjögren -- 3. Land Conflict and Electoral Violence in Côte d’Ivoire: A Micro-Level Analysis / Matthew I. Mitchell -- 4. The Geography of Violence in Burundi’s 2015 Elections / Willy Nindorera and Jesper Bjarnesen -- 5. Competition, Uncertainty, and Violence in Sierra Leone’s Swing District / Ibrahim Bangura and Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs -- 6. Ex-Militants and Electoral Violence in Nigeria’s Niger Delta / Tarila Marclint Ebiede -- 7. The Winner Takes It All: Post-war Rebel Networks, Big Man Politics and the Threat of Violence in the 2011 Liberian Elections / Mariam Bjarnesen -- 8. Parasitic Politics: Violence, Deception, and Change in Kenya's Electoral Politics / Jacob Rasmussen -- 9. Eclectic Ties and Election Touts: Chipangano’s Cyclic Governance Agenda in Mbare, Zimbabwe / Tariro Mutongwizo -- 10. Patronage Politics and Electoral Violence in Lagos, Nigeria: Understanding the Micro-Level Dynamics / Daniel E. Agbiboa -- 11. 'Once They All Pick their Guns You Can Have Your Way': Campaigning and Talking about Violence in Northern Ghana / Afra Schmitz -- Conclusions: Beyond Democracy and Big Men Politics / Jesper Bjarnesen and Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs</p
Agricultural transformation in Ethiopia : state policy and smallholder farming
No full textFor thousands of years, Ethiopia has depended on its smallholding farmers to provide the bulk of its food needs. But now, such farmers find themselves under threat from environmental degradation, climate change and declining productivity. As a result, smallholder agriculture has increasingly become subsistence-oriented, with many of these farmers trapped in a cycle of poverty. Smallholders have long been marginalised by mainstream development policies, and only more recently has their crucial importance been recognised for addressing rural poverty through agricultural reform. This collection, written by leading Ethiopian scholars, explores the scope and impact of Ethiopia’s policy reforms over the past two decades on the smallholder sector. Focusing on the Lake Tana basin in northwestern Ethiopia, an area with untapped potential for growth, the contributors argue that any effective policy will need to go beyond agriculture to consider the role of health, nutrition and local food customs, as well as including increased safeguards for smallholder’s land rights. They in turn show that smallholders represent a vitally overlooked component of development strategy, not only in Ethiopia but across the global South.CONTENTS: State Policies and Questions of Agrarian Transformation / Atakilte Beyene -- 1. Agricultural Input Supply and Output Marketing Systems / Fentahun Tesafa -- 2. Agricultural Investment Alternatives and the Smallholder Farming Sector / Kassa Teshager Alemu -- 3. Large/Scale Canal Irrigation Management by Smallholder Farmers / Atakilte Beyene -- 4. Determinants of Climate/resilient Agricultural Practices among Smallholder Farmers / Nigussie Abadi and Girmay Tesfay -- 5. Sociocultural Dimensions of Food: The Case of Teff / Gedef Abawa -- 6. The Impact of Malaria Epidemics on Agricultural Production in Dembia and Fogera, 1950/2000 / Fantahun Ayele -- 7. Women Farmers’ Land Rights in the Context of Constraining Cultural Norms / Mulunesh Abebe Alebachew -- 8. Rural Transformation through Robust Land Rights / Daniel Ambaye -- Concluding Remarks / Atakilte Beyene</p
Peace and security challenges in Southern Africa : governance deficits and lacklustre regional conflict management
No full textArmed insurgencies, social cleavages and governance deficits relating to authoritarian rule and abuse of state resources all imperil peace and stability in Southern Africa. The Southern African Development Community’s institutional framework for regional peace and security is proving ineffective because its leaders are unwilling to enforce democratic principles
Violence in African elections
No full textThe benefits of winning elections, and the disadvantages of losing them, must be reduced to avoid the violence that a winner-takes-all situation can trigger. Election observers should pay more attention to subtle forms of violence, intra-party tensions and incumbents playing the security card to justify increased use of force. This policy note considers how to curb the increase of violence in African elections.This policy note is based on the book Violence in African Elections, edited by Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs and Jesper Bjarnesen (http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:nai:diva-2185). It is a collection of eleven case studies from different Sub-Saharan countries, offering a comprehensive examination of the causes of Africa’s violent electoral clashes, and the consequences for African democratization and peace-keeping.</p
Debt, aid and poverty in Mozambique : lessons learned from the Mozambican debt crisis
No full textIn opaque and unregulated financial markets, there can be strong incentives for banks to provide loans even when the appropriate guaranties or assessments are lacking. This is part of the Mozambican debt story, according to NAI researchers Navarra and Rodrigues. In this case, the consequences are most likely to be borne by Mozambican people, strongly affecting their living conditions
Water finance innovations in context
No full textCONTENTS: Authors Biographies, 5 -- Preface and Acknowledgements, 11 -- Chapter 1 – Prologue: Why Does Africa Need Innovative Water Financing Mechanisms? Atakilte Beyene and Cush Ngonzo Luwesi, 17 -- Chapter 2: Africa’s Water Sector Development and Financing Outlook Wangai Ndirangu, Cush Ngonzo Luwesi, Atakilte Beyene and Mamudu Abunga Akudugu, 42 -- Chapter 3: The Core Business of Integrated Water Management: Achieving Water Governance Performance Joy Apiyo Obando, Cush Ngonzo Luwesi, Atakilte Beyene, Raphael Mwamba Tshimanga and Albert Ruhakana, 60 -- Chapter 4: Legal and Market Requirements for Water Finance in Africa: the Kenya Water Sector Reforms Case Pauline Matu Mureithi, Cush Ngonzo Luwesi, Mary Nyawira Mutiso Nele Förch and Amos Yesutanbul Nkpeebo, 82 -- Chapter 5: Societal Marketing and Resource Mobilization: Communication and Engagement Methods that Work for Water Cush Ngonzo Luwesi, Aseye Afi Nutsukpui, Philip Wambua Peter and Amos Yesutanbul Nkpeebo, 114 -- Chapter 6: Gender in Water Finance: Perspectives for a Paradigm Shift in Water Finance Management Elsie Odonkor, Linnet Hamasi, Florence Muthoni, Mathabo Khau and Mary Mutiso, 140 -- Index, 160</p
Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region beyond Boko Haram
No full textIn light of a recent UN Security Council resolution on the Lake Chad region, this policy note identifies major challenges that need to be addressed to create conditions for actors in the region to build a lasting peace. The issues include demobilising local vigilantes and resolving land-related conflicts