Rebel Governance or Governance in Rebel Territory? Extraction and Services in Ndélé, Central African Republic
Tim Glawion / Anne-Clémence Le Noan
Rebel Governance or Governance in Rebel Territory? Extraction and Services in Ndélé, Central African Republic
Small Wars and Insurgencies | 2023
Abstract
Rebel governance assumes a symbiotic relationship between coercion and public goods provision. However, in the rebel-held town of Ndélé, Central African Republic, we find that governance happens in rebel-held territory, but rarely by rebels. Rebels allowed other actors to provide services for the people only when this did not hinder rebels extracting political clout and economic benefit from the people and their lands. We show how rebels’ extractive ambitions and governance discourses evolved during successive stages of rebellion through a diachronic comparison rooted in multimethod fieldwork from 2018 to 2022. We ask, why were rebel groups able to set up their rule, then rule for seven years, before ultimately losing power? Rebels evoked public goods at the onset of rebellion to justify the use of coercive means. After rebel rule was established, rebels outsourced public goods to international and state actors allowing for governance in rebel-held territory while focussing their own efforts on extraction. When their rule was challenged, rebels targeted governance actors and spaces in their territory in pursuit of economic gain and political dominance. Our findings call for a re-evaluation of existing rebel governance studies and the ways in which rebel groups are engaged with.
Der russische Präsident empfängt in St. Petersburg afrikanische Präsidenten und Premierminister zum Russland-Afrika-Gipfel. Afrika-Experte Dr. Tim Galwion erklärt, welche Interessen Russland in Afrika hat und was sich afrikanische Regierungen von Putin erhoffen.
In St. Petersburg findet ein Russland-Afrika-Gipfel statt. Russland könne den afrikanischen Staaten Machterhalt anbieten - im Gegenzug zu politischen und wirtschaftlichen Zugeständnissen, sagt Dr. Tim Glawion vom GIGA Institut für Afrika-Studien.
Anlässlich des Russland-Afrika-Gipfels spricht GIGA-Forscher Dr. Tim Glawion im Interview mit Deutschlandfunk Kultur über die Beziehungen zwischen Russland und Zentralafrika.
In recent years, French influence in the Central African Republic, its former colony, has waned and been replaced by Russia, who’s Wagner Group has become involved in supporting the government in its fight against rebel groups. Peace News spoke to experts to understand what obstacles stand in the way of Peace in the CAR.
The labels 'state fragility' and 'civil war' suggest that security within several African countries has broken down. As Tim Glawion observes, however, while people do experience insecurity in some parts of conflict-affected countries, in other areas they live in relative security.
Studying 12 cases across the Central African Republic, Haiti, Somaliland, and South Sudan, I investigate (1) where hybrid interactions take place, (2) how they happen and (3) what this means for people’s security.
Der russische Präsident empfängt in St. Petersburg afrikanische Präsidenten und Premierminister zum Russland-Afrika-Gipfel. Afrika-Experte Dr. Tim Galwion erklärt, welche Interessen Russland in Afrika hat und was sich afrikanische Regierungen von Putin erhoffen.
In St. Petersburg findet ein Russland-Afrika-Gipfel statt. Russland könne den afrikanischen Staaten Machterhalt anbieten - im Gegenzug zu politischen und wirtschaftlichen Zugeständnissen, sagt Dr. Tim Glawion vom GIGA Institut für Afrika-Studien.
Anlässlich des Russland-Afrika-Gipfels spricht GIGA-Forscher Dr. Tim Glawion im Interview mit Deutschlandfunk Kultur über die Beziehungen zwischen Russland und Zentralafrika.
In recent years, French influence in the Central African Republic, its former colony, has waned and been replaced by Russia, who’s Wagner Group has become involved in supporting the government in its fight against rebel groups. Peace News spoke to experts to understand what obstacles stand in the way of Peace in the CAR.
The labels 'state fragility' and 'civil war' suggest that security within several African countries has broken down. As Tim Glawion observes, however, while people do experience insecurity in some parts of conflict-affected countries, in other areas they live in relative security.
Studying 12 cases across the Central African Republic, Haiti, Somaliland, and South Sudan, I investigate (1) where hybrid interactions take place, (2) how they happen and (3) what this means for people’s security.
