Diaspora return to politics: from state collapse to a new federal Somalia and Somaliland, 1985–2018

<p>African governments and their political structures are now increasingly constituted of returning diaspora. The thesis explores the international and domestic political processes through which diaspora return to politics and influence the Somali-speaking subnational and national administrati...

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Main Author: Elder, C
Other Authors: Soares de Oliveira, R
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2019
Subjects:
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author Elder, C
author2 Soares de Oliveira, R
author_facet Soares de Oliveira, R
Elder, C
author_sort Elder, C
collection OXFORD
description <p>African governments and their political structures are now increasingly constituted of returning diaspora. The thesis explores the international and domestic political processes through which diaspora return to politics and influence the Somali-speaking subnational and national administrations of the Republic of Somaliland, Puntland Member State of Somalia, and the Federal Government of Somalia from 1985 until 2018. These processes are traced across the three contexts and chronologically from the irredentist fight of the 1980s, through state formation and reconstruction processes after 1991, and up to contemporary politics. In each context, different historical and conflict legacies, state formation processes (including relationships with the international system) and internal elite pacts shape the opportunity structures for diaspora politicians to contest and influence politics. Divergences emerge in trends in leadership succession, including the rise and fall of diaspora administrations, as well as in the forms of alliance building and local resistance that emerge against periods of diaspora rule. This thesis is particularly concerned with how international actors and statebuilding agendas may confer undue legitimacy on diaspora politicians and empower them to challenge existing political arrangements and systems of clan governance. As such, this thesis contributes to key academic debates about clan politics and limited stateness, the symbolic valence of expertise, and the politics of state formation.</p>
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spelling oxford-uuid:dd875d02-1061-4468-9d18-e966c8a832342023-07-20T08:03:17ZDiaspora return to politics: from state collapse to a new federal Somalia and Somaliland, 1985–2018Thesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_db06uuid:dd875d02-1061-4468-9d18-e966c8a83234African diasporaInternational relations and culturePolitics and governmentPolitics and warEnglishHyrax Deposit2019Elder, CSoares de Oliveira, R<p>African governments and their political structures are now increasingly constituted of returning diaspora. The thesis explores the international and domestic political processes through which diaspora return to politics and influence the Somali-speaking subnational and national administrations of the Republic of Somaliland, Puntland Member State of Somalia, and the Federal Government of Somalia from 1985 until 2018. These processes are traced across the three contexts and chronologically from the irredentist fight of the 1980s, through state formation and reconstruction processes after 1991, and up to contemporary politics. In each context, different historical and conflict legacies, state formation processes (including relationships with the international system) and internal elite pacts shape the opportunity structures for diaspora politicians to contest and influence politics. Divergences emerge in trends in leadership succession, including the rise and fall of diaspora administrations, as well as in the forms of alliance building and local resistance that emerge against periods of diaspora rule. This thesis is particularly concerned with how international actors and statebuilding agendas may confer undue legitimacy on diaspora politicians and empower them to challenge existing political arrangements and systems of clan governance. As such, this thesis contributes to key academic debates about clan politics and limited stateness, the symbolic valence of expertise, and the politics of state formation.</p>
spellingShingle African diaspora
International relations and culture
Politics and government
Politics and war
Elder, C
Diaspora return to politics: from state collapse to a new federal Somalia and Somaliland, 1985–2018
title Diaspora return to politics: from state collapse to a new federal Somalia and Somaliland, 1985–2018
title_full Diaspora return to politics: from state collapse to a new federal Somalia and Somaliland, 1985–2018
title_fullStr Diaspora return to politics: from state collapse to a new federal Somalia and Somaliland, 1985–2018
title_full_unstemmed Diaspora return to politics: from state collapse to a new federal Somalia and Somaliland, 1985–2018
title_short Diaspora return to politics: from state collapse to a new federal Somalia and Somaliland, 1985–2018
title_sort diaspora return to politics from state collapse to a new federal somalia and somaliland 1985 2018
topic African diaspora
International relations and culture
Politics and government
Politics and war
work_keys_str_mv AT elderc diasporareturntopoliticsfromstatecollapsetoanewfederalsomaliaandsomaliland19852018