The Nordic Africa Institute
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Africa information on the Internet
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Reflections on the Challenge of Reconstructing Post-Conflict States in West Africa : Insights From Claude Ake’s Political Writings
No full textThis Discussion Paper is based on a theoretical exploration of state reconstruction and the prospects for peacebuilding in post-conflict West African countries based on critical reflections on the political thought of Claude Ake, one of Nigeria’s foremost political thinkers. Its point of departure is the refutation of the view that the state project in Africa is ‘hopeless’ or at a dead-end. It therefore revisits the debate on the viability of the state project in the continent, particularly as it relates to those West African states emerging from or affected by violent conflict. While acknowledging the shortcomings of the state-formation project in some post conflict West African countries, the author argues that the state remains a key institutional and social actor that needs to be understood more in terms of its historical moorings, political economy and marginal position in the international order. Drawing on Ake’s postulations about the limited autonomy of the state in Africa and its links to political violence and conflict, the author critiques both the hegemonic discourses on the nature of the state in Africa and those relating to post-conflict peacebuilding in the continent. The analysis of the latter focuses on the epistemological groundings of mainstream peacebuilding discourses, and posits that there is no guarantee that such imported models ensure sustainable peace in West Africa. Thus, the paper makes a compelling case for reinventing the state in West Africa based on autochthonous democratic transformation in favour of ordinary people. In this regard, it argues for an endogenous transformation of the state in Africa in ways that can strongly root it in the people as a fundamental step towards sustainable and locally owned participatory peacebuilding. It thereby opens up a new perspective on state reconstruction as a step towards ending violent conflict in the sub-region
The Elite as a Critical Factor in National Development : The case of Botswana
No full textThe Discussion Paper provides insightful explanations for Botswana’s emergence as one of Africa’s developmental success stories. It underscores the role of the ruling elite coalition in shaping the particular kind of politics, inclusive policies, consensus, partnerships and vision that have contributed to the emergence of Botswana as a democratic developmental state. This is an important paper that should be read by all those keen to understand how Botswana has managed to avoid the ‘natural resource curse’ and stand out as a model of democratic stability and sustained economic growth in Africa
Transnational Islamist (Jihadist) Movements and Inter-State Conflicts in the Horn of Africa
No full textSomalia has engendered the policy debate on the extent of the spread of transnational Islamist Jihadist groups in the Horn of Africa (HOA) and their consequences for peace and security across the region. These concerns are justified given the emergence since the late 1980s of extremist groups such as the Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement and the Somali Jihadist Islamist groups of the likes of Al-Ittihad, the Islamic Courts Union and currently Al Shabab. The leaders and fighters of these groups relocated to the HOA after the defeat of the Taliban following the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan. The operations of these transnational Islamist groups within and across the countries of the Horn pose serious challenges to the region and beyond
La complexité de la violence : Analyse critique des violences sexuelles en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC)
No full textCe rapport est basé sur une étude de cas originale, incluant des entretiens extensifs avec les forces armées en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC). En explorant de manière critique et remettant en question de manière convaincante les stéréotypes existants et récits sur les violences sexuelles dans des lieux de conflit, les auteurs mettent en lumière le besoin d’une compréhension nuancée des violences basées sur le genre, ainsi que ses victimes invisibles. Leur analyse va au-delà des explications réductrices qui distinguent les violences sexuelles d’autres formes de violences qui affectent les sociétés déchirées par la guerre et hantent les contextes d’après-guerre. Ainsi nous apportent-elles des enseignements très importants sur les circonstances dans lequelles les violences sexuelles se produisent
The Agrarian Question in Tanzania? : A State of the Art Paper
No full textThe Mwalimu Nyerere Professorial Chair in Pan-African Studies was established at the University of Dar es Salaam in 2008. The main objective of the chair is to reinvigorate intellectual debate on the campus and stimulate basic research on burning issues facing the country and the continent from a pan-African perspective. This is the first state of the art paper published by the chair. The Agrarian Question in Tanzania. There are about four million peasant families in Tanzania. They farm on the smallest scale, the average farm being two acres in size. The principal agricultural equipmentis the hand hoe. Since the onset of the colonial era, those in authority have pursued policies to dominate the peasantry. It is argued that the small scale of operations has contributed to the widespread poverty among farmers. There is still good agricultural land that is not farmed, but the current land tenure of peasants reproduces itself on new farmland. The conclusion is that in order to accelerate agricultural development, land tenure must be institutionalized.Contents: Part A: Conceptual and Theoretical Issues - The Agrarian Question: Conceptual Issues - Theoretical Issues - Part B: African Perspectives on the Agrarian Question - Agrarian Change and Socioeconomic Transformation in Africa - The Dynamics of Land Tenure Systems in Africa - Part C: The Agrarian Question in Tanzania - Historical Perspectives on the Agrarian Question - Contemporary Perspectives on the Agrarian Question - Forms of Accumulation and the Agrarian Question - Accumulation by Dispossession and the Agrarian Question - Agro-fuels, Large-Scale Food Production and New Land Grabs - Land Tenure, Land Reform and Peasant Agriculture - Selected Cases Reflecting the Agrarian Question in Tanzania - Conclusion and Recommendations</p
Official publications
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