ABSTRACT

Since the end of the Cold War, the monopoly of legitimate organized force of many African states has been eroded by a mix of rebel groups, violent extremist organizations, and self-defence militias created in response to the rise in organized violence on the continent.

African Border Disorders explores the complex relationships that bind states, transnational rebels and extremist organizations, and borders on the African continent. Combining cutting edge network science with geographical analysis, the first part of the book highlights how the fluid alliances and conflicts between rebels, violent extremist organizations and states shape in large measure regional patterns of violence in Africa. The second part of the book examines the spread of Islamist violence around Lake Chad through the lens of the violent Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, which has evolved from a nationally-oriented militia group, to an internationally networked organization. The third part of the book explores how violent extremist organizations conceptualize state boundaries and territory and, reciprocally, how do the civil society and the state respond to the rise of transnational organizations.

The book will be essential reading for all students and specialists of African politics and security studies, particularly those specializing on fragile states, sovereignty, new wars, and borders as well as governments and international organizations involved in conflict prevention and early intervention in the region.

 

The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

chapter |13 pages

Introduction

States, borders and political violence in Africa
ByOlivier J. Walther, William F.S. Miles
Size: 0.21 MB

part Part I|98 pages

Social networks and spatial patterns

chapter 1|22 pages

Spatializing the social networks of the First Congo War

BySteven M. Radil
Size: 0.60 MB

chapter 2|21 pages

Exploring the spatial and social networks of transnational rebellions in Africa

ByDaniel Cunningham, Sean F. Everton, Kristen Tsolis
Size: 0.63 MB

chapter 3|27 pages

Networks and spatial patterns of extremist organizations in North and West Africa

ByOlivier J. Walther, Christian Leuprecht, David B. Skillicorn
Size: 3.24 MB

chapter 4|26 pages

Spatial and temporal diffusion of political violence in North and West Africa

ByDavid B. Skillicorn, Olivier J. Walther, Quan Zheng, Christian Leuprecht
Size: 1.14 MB

part Part II|38 pages

Transnational extremism and policy responses

chapter 5|21 pages

Nigeria's Boko Haram

Local, national and transnational dynamics
ByCaitriona Dowd
Size: 0.35 MB

chapter 6|15 pages

External incentives and the African subregional response to Boko Haram

ByNikolas Emmanuel
Size: 0.47 MB

part Part III|55 pages

States, civil society and transnational extremism

chapter 7|17 pages

Terror, territory and statehood from Al Qaeda to the Islamic State

ByJaume Castan Pinos
Size: 0.30 MB

chapter 8|17 pages

Public perceptions of violent extremism in Mali

ByBruce Whitehouse
Size: 0.23 MB

chapter 9|19 pages

Jihads and borders

Social networks and spatial patterns in Africa, present, past and future
ByWilliam F.S. Miles
Size: 1.22 MB