Warlord democrats in Africa : ex-military leaders and electoral politics

266 Pages·2017·5.1 MB·English

More praise for Warlord Democrats
“A major work. This book tells us exactly how and why wartime leaders play
significant roles in post-war politics. Extremely insightful and clear, it is likely
to spur a new research programme in the study of post-conflict politics and
state-building. It should be widely read.”
William Reno, Northwestern University
“An excellent collection of essays. The political economy analysis it offers
should be of particular interest to those – quite especially the UN and those
charged with running its peace operations – trying to build peace and secure
durable political settlements to long-running conflicts.”
Mats Berdal, King’s College London
A frica Now
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internationally respected Nordic Africa Institute. Featuring high-quality,
cutting-edge research from leading academics, the series addresses the big
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its scope, Africa Now engages with the critical political, economic, sociological
and development debates affecting the continent, shedding new light on
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Nordic Africa Institute
The Nordic Africa Institute (Nordiska Afrikainstitutet) is a centre for
research, documentation and information on modern Africa. Based in Uppsala,
Sweden, the Institute is dedicated to providing timely, critical and alternative
research and analysis of Africa and to co-operation with African researchers.
As a hub and a meeting place for a growing field of research and analysis the
Institute strives to put knowledge of African issues within reach for scholars,
policy makers, politicians, media, students and the general public.
www.nai.uu.se
Forthcoming titles
Paul Higate and Mats Utas (eds), Private Security in Africa
Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs and Jesper Bjarnesen (eds), Violence in African
Elections
Atakilte Beyene (ed.), Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia
Titles already published
Fantu Cheru and Cyril Obi (eds), The Rise of China and India in Africa
Ilda Lindell (ed.), Africa’s Informal Workers
Iman Hashim and Dorte Thorsen, Child Migration in Africa
Prosper B. Matondi, Kjell Havnevik and Atakilte Beyene (eds), Biofuels, Land
Grabbing and Food Security in Africa
Cyril Obi and Siri Aas Rustad (eds), Oil and Insurgency in the Niger Delta
Mats Utas (ed.), African Conflicts and Informal Power
Prosper B. Matondi, Zimbabwe’s Fast Track Land Reform
Maria Eriksson Baaz and Maria Stern, Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War?
Fantu Cheru and Renu Modi (eds), Agricultural Development and Food Security
in Africa
Amanda Hammar (ed.), Displacement Economies in Africa
Mary Njeri Kinyanjui, Women and the Informal Economy in Urban Africa
Liisa Laakso and Petri Hautaniemi (eds), Diasporas, Development and
Peacemaking in the Horn of Africa
Margaret Lee, Africa’s World Trade
Godwin R. Murunga, Duncan Okello and Anders Sjögren (eds), Kenya: The
Struggle for a New Constitutional Order
Lisa Åkesson and Maria Eriksson Baaz (eds), Africa’s Return Migrants
Thiven Reddy, South Africa: Settler Colonialism and the Failures of Liberal
Democracy
Cedric de Coning, Linnéa Gelot and John Karlsrud (eds), The Future of African
Peace Operations
Tobias Hagmann and Filip Reyntjens (eds), Aid and Authoritarianism in Africa
Henning Melber, The Rise of Africa’s Middle Class
About the editor
Anders Themnér is a senior researcher at
the Nordic Africa Institute and an assistant
professor at the Department of Peace and
Conflict Research, Uppsala University.
His research focus is on post-civil war
democratization; disarmament, demobilization
and reintegration of ex-combatants (DDR);
and informal military networks in post-civil
war societies.
Warlord democrats in Africa
Ex-military leaders and electoral politics
edited by Anders Themnér
Zed Books
london
Warlord Democrats in Africa: Ex-Military Leaders and Electoral Politics
was first published in association with the Nordic Africa Institute,
PO Box 1703, SE-751 47 Uppsala, Sweden in 2017 by Zed Books Ltd,
The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR, UK.
www.zedbooks.net
www.nai.uu.se
Editorial copyright © Anders Themnér 2017
Copyright in this collection © Zed Books 2017
The right of Anders Themnér to be identified as the editor of this
work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
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Index by Ed Emery
Cover design by Alice Marwick
Cover photo © Sven Torfinn/Panos
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the prior permission of Zed Books Ltd.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-78360-249-0 hb
ISBN 978-1-78360-248-3 pb
ISBN 978-1-78360-250-6 pdf
ISBN 978-1-78360-251-3 epub
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Contents
Acknowledgements | ix
Introduction: Warlord democrats: wartime investments,
democratic returns?
anders themnér . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1 Pompier-pyromanocracy: Mbusa Nyamwisi and the DR Congo’s
inflammable post-settlement political order
judith verweijen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
2 Apotheosis of a warlord: Paul Kagame
lars waldorf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
3 Discourses of peace and fear: the electoral navigations of
Sekou Conneh and Prince Johnson in post-war Liberia
carrie manning and anders themnér . . . . . . . . . . . .95
4 Afonso Dhlakama and RENAMO’s return to armed conflict
since 2013: the politics of reintegration in Mozambique
alex vines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
5 From warlord to drug lord: the life of João Bernardo
“Nino” Vieira
henrik vigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
6 Shape-shifters in the struggle for survival: post-war politics
in Sierra Leone
mimmi söderberg kovacs and ibrahim bangura. . . . . . . 177
7 Riek Machar: warlord-doctor in South Sudan
johan brosché and kristine höglund . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Conclusion: Ambiguous peacelords: the diminishing returns
of post-war democracy
anders themnér . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
About the contributors | 246
Index | 247

Acknowledgements
This volume grew out of a rich and stimulating research environment at
the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI), and particularly its “Conflict Cluster”. It
was through constant discussions about Big Men, informalities, post-civil
war dynamics and processes of democratization that the idea for analyzing
warlord democrats as electoral navigators developed. For this reason, I am
eternally grateful to colleagues such as Maria Eriksson Baaz, Linnéa Gelot,
Ilmari Käihkö, Maria Malmström, Anders Sjögren and Mimmi Söderberg
Kovacs. I am particularly indebted to Mats Utas for introducing the Big Man
framework to me and for constantly pushing me to look beyond my positivist
inclinations. In a similar vein, I also want extend my appreciation to the current
and former directors of NAI, Iina Soiri and Carin Norberg, as well as NAI’s
head of research, Victor Adetula, who have supported the process throughout.
I would also like to express my gratitude to my “other” workplace – the
Department of Peace and Conflict Research (DPCR) at Uppsala University.
It has been a luxury to have DPCR as an alternative source of inspiration.
From some of the brightest scholars on the dynamics of war and peace I
have received insights about how, in a systematic manner, to try to capture,
compare and analyze something as fluid and ambiguous as individual agency
in a largely informal setting.
The book began to take shape in September 2012, with the organization of a
two-day workshop entitled Warlord Democrats: Agents of Change or Instigators
of Insecurity? During the workshop, a number of scholars and practitioners
were present who are not part of this book. These individuals did, however,
undoubtedly infuse valuable ideas and perspectives into the project. I therefore
owe thanks to Bola Amoke Awotide, Maria Eriksson Baaz, Tumba Tuseku
Diuedonné, Nura Jibo, Trice Kabundi, Maria Malmström, Carin Norberg,
Daniel Poon, Koko Sadiki, Pierre Schori, Anders Sjögren, Roxanna Sjöstedt, Ari
Baghdassar Tatian, James Tar Tsaaior and Mats Utas. This workshop could not
have been organized without the generous economic support of the Swedish
International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the organizational
assistance of NAI. We are truly indebted to both organizations. From the
latter, I particularly want to mention Ingrid Andersson, whose administrative
expertise made all the difference.
During the writing of this volume, we have received invaluable comments,
reflections and assistance from a number of people. Three research assistants
ix