African conflicts and Informal Power Big Men and Networks

In the aftermath of an armed conflict in Africa, the international community both produces and demands from local partners a variety of blueprints for reconstructing state and society. The aim is to re-formalize the state after what is viewed as a period of fragmentation. In reality, African economi...

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Détails bibliographiques
Autres auteurs: Utas, Mats (Éditeur intellectuel)
Format: Électronique Chapitre de livre
Langue:anglais
Publié: Uppsala; London The Nordic Africa Institute and Zed Books (Bloomsbury) 2012
Collection:Africa Now
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Résumé:In the aftermath of an armed conflict in Africa, the international community both produces and demands from local partners a variety of blueprints for reconstructing state and society. The aim is to re-formalize the state after what is viewed as a period of fragmentation. In reality, African economies and polities are very much informal in character, with informal actors, including so-called Big Men, often using their positions in the formal structure as a means to reach their own goals. Through a variety of in-depth case studies, including the DRC, Sierra Leone and Liberia, this comprehensive volume shows how important informal political and economic networks are in many of the continent's conflict areas. Moreover, it demonstrates that without a proper understanding of the impact of these networks, attempts to formalize African states, particularly those emerging from wars, will be in vain.
Description matérielle:1 electronic resource (255 p.)
ISBN:9781350218130
9781848138841
9781848138827
9781848138834
9781848138858
Accès:Open Access