This article examines the rise of the koglweogo self-defence groups in Burkina Faso, developing an empirical analysis of their practices and a conceptual approach to their ambiguous status. The article describes the ‘koglweogos’’ rise since 2014, their growth across urban and rural areas in Burkina Faso, and their involvement in tasks from crime-fighting to counterterrorism. The article builds on the existing literature on vigilantism and security provision in African states and outlines a conceptual framework highlighting the koglweogos’ pursuit of recognition. The koglweogo toggle between overlapping ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ repertoires of security discourse and practice, pursuing recognition as security professionals but also the autonomy and flexibility of working in the margins. This emphasizes the symbolic value, social and political contestability, discursive construction, and imaginaries of security whilst eschewing a state/non-state binary. The article draws on fieldwork carried out with multiple koglweogo groups to highlight their role as auxiliaries in global security governance, their production of security claims in the absence of recognition, their production of public authority, and their relationship of collaboration with and contestation of the state. The article concludes with reflections on the broader utility of the concept of ‘security amateur’ in Africa and further afield.
{"title":"The politics of non-state security provision in Burkina Faso: koglweogo self-defence groups' ambiguous pursuit of recognition","authors":"Philippe M Frowd","doi":"10.1093/afraf/adab033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adab033","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines the rise of the koglweogo self-defence groups in Burkina Faso, developing an empirical analysis of their practices and a conceptual approach to their ambiguous status. The article describes the ‘koglweogos’’ rise since 2014, their growth across urban and rural areas in Burkina Faso, and their involvement in tasks from crime-fighting to counterterrorism. The article builds on the existing literature on vigilantism and security provision in African states and outlines a conceptual framework highlighting the koglweogos’ pursuit of recognition. The koglweogo toggle between overlapping ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ repertoires of security discourse and practice, pursuing recognition as security professionals but also the autonomy and flexibility of working in the margins. This emphasizes the symbolic value, social and political contestability, discursive construction, and imaginaries of security whilst eschewing a state/non-state binary. The article draws on fieldwork carried out with multiple koglweogo groups to highlight their role as auxiliaries in global security governance, their production of security claims in the absence of recognition, their production of public authority, and their relationship of collaboration with and contestation of the state. The article concludes with reflections on the broader utility of the concept of ‘security amateur’ in Africa and further afield.","PeriodicalId":7508,"journal":{"name":"African Affairs","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2021-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138541856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The history of the USA in Eritrea: From Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama and how Donald Trump changed the course of history","authors":"Fikresus Amahazion","doi":"10.1093/AFRAF/ADAB025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/AFRAF/ADAB025","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7508,"journal":{"name":"African Affairs","volume":"120 1","pages":"683-685"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46356349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shaping the African savannah: From capitalist frontier to Arid Eden in Namibia","authors":"P. Hebinck","doi":"10.1093/AFRAF/ADAB027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/AFRAF/ADAB027","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7508,"journal":{"name":"African Affairs","volume":"120 1","pages":"675-677"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42055997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding handouts in candidate selection: Challenging party authority in Malawi","authors":"A. Chiweza, H. Kayuni, Ragnhild L. Muriaas","doi":"10.1093/AFRAF/ADAB030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/AFRAF/ADAB030","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7508,"journal":{"name":"African Affairs","volume":"120 1","pages":"569-589"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46922309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：