31 research outputs found
Regulation, taxation and violence: the state, quasi-state governance and cross-border dynamics in the Great Lakes Region
The Role of Trans-Border Ethnic Groups in Intra-State and Inter-State Conflict in Africa
Africaâs Secessionism: A Breakdance of Aspiration, Grievance, Performance, and Disenchantment
This chapter offers four interpretations of Africaâs secessionism: aspiration, grievance, performance, and disenchantment. Secessionism remains a fundamental theme of African politics, despite being largely removed from the realm of the thinkable. Yet, South Sudanâs independence against all odds shows that African secessionism is also contradictory. Its aspirational simplicity obscures a complex political phenomenon that often couples a territorial demand with invocations of the right to self-determination. Claims are based on grievances, marginalization, narratives, and economic interests. The consequences of such claims vary; the two cases of successful post-colonial secession highlight that secessionism does not guarantee improvements. And secessionist claims rarely challenge the notion that the sovereign territorial state is the answer to Africansâ problems rather than one of its roots