Coloniality, Legitimacy in Statebuilding, and the Use of Force in Africa
In Africa, legitimation and claims to the legitimate use of force are often challenged by the problematic nature of ethnic diversity, amongst other things. Although ethnicity and diversity are not the problems in themselves, the politicisation of ethnicity is. In this paper, we link this to a histor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Johannesburg
2021-11-01
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| Series: | The Thinker |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/The_Thinker/article/view/689 |
| _version_ | 1819045532930146304 |
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| author | Samuel Ajogwu Igba and Emmaculate Asige Liaga |
| author_facet | Samuel Ajogwu Igba and Emmaculate Asige Liaga |
| author_sort | Samuel Ajogwu Igba and Emmaculate Asige Liaga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Africa, legitimation and claims to the legitimate use of force are often challenged by the problematic nature of ethnic diversity, amongst other things. Although ethnicity and diversity are not the problems in themselves, the politicisation of ethnicity is. In this paper, we link this to a history of colonisation which clustered multiple ethnic groups together within single sovereign entities around the continent, as well as the current realities of coloniality which has prevented states within the continent from imagining and transcending the European artefact and design of the modern state in Africa. We link the exploratory term coloniality in statebuilding to the failure of African states to overcome the politicisation of ethnicity and ethnic diversity in order to mitigate the problematic nature of democracy in modern African states. This failure leads to challenges of legitimacy in any given state, and ultimately the states’ claim to the legitimate use of force. The resultant symptoms and indicators of such challenges are manifest in the rise of various insurgencies, separatism, and other forms of insecurity. The cases of Kenya, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia are briefly discussed in this article, highlighting the problematic nature of the claims to the legitimate use of force, legitimacy, and the resultant political ethnicity with all its consequences for these states. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:30:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1622e103eeb742c99ebe3e87d2c821aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-2458 2616-907X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:30:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | University of Johannesburg |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Thinker |
| spelling | doaj.art-1622e103eeb742c99ebe3e87d2c821aa2022-12-21T19:07:13ZengUniversity of JohannesburgThe Thinker2075-24582616-907X2021-11-01894555Coloniality, Legitimacy in Statebuilding, and the Use of Force in AfricaSamuel Ajogwu Igba and Emmaculate Asige Liaga0University of PretoriaIn Africa, legitimation and claims to the legitimate use of force are often challenged by the problematic nature of ethnic diversity, amongst other things. Although ethnicity and diversity are not the problems in themselves, the politicisation of ethnicity is. In this paper, we link this to a history of colonisation which clustered multiple ethnic groups together within single sovereign entities around the continent, as well as the current realities of coloniality which has prevented states within the continent from imagining and transcending the European artefact and design of the modern state in Africa. We link the exploratory term coloniality in statebuilding to the failure of African states to overcome the politicisation of ethnicity and ethnic diversity in order to mitigate the problematic nature of democracy in modern African states. This failure leads to challenges of legitimacy in any given state, and ultimately the states’ claim to the legitimate use of force. The resultant symptoms and indicators of such challenges are manifest in the rise of various insurgencies, separatism, and other forms of insecurity. The cases of Kenya, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia are briefly discussed in this article, highlighting the problematic nature of the claims to the legitimate use of force, legitimacy, and the resultant political ethnicity with all its consequences for these states.https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/The_Thinker/article/view/689colonialitystatebuildingforceafricaethnicitykenyasouth sudannigeriasomalia |
| spellingShingle | Samuel Ajogwu Igba and Emmaculate Asige Liaga Coloniality, Legitimacy in Statebuilding, and the Use of Force in Africa The Thinker coloniality statebuilding force africa ethnicity kenya south sudan nigeria somalia |
| title | Coloniality, Legitimacy in Statebuilding, and the Use of Force in Africa |
| title_full | Coloniality, Legitimacy in Statebuilding, and the Use of Force in Africa |
| title_fullStr | Coloniality, Legitimacy in Statebuilding, and the Use of Force in Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coloniality, Legitimacy in Statebuilding, and the Use of Force in Africa |
| title_short | Coloniality, Legitimacy in Statebuilding, and the Use of Force in Africa |
| title_sort | coloniality legitimacy in statebuilding and the use of force in africa |
| topic | coloniality statebuilding force africa ethnicity kenya south sudan nigeria somalia |
| url | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/The_Thinker/article/view/689 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samuelajogwuigbaandemmaculateasigeliaga colonialitylegitimacyinstatebuildingandtheuseofforceinafrica |