Postcolonial State in Crisis: the

“failed states” discourse

Week 11, Lecture 1
Two trends in Africa since decolonization:
1) One-party state but move towards multi-party
democracy and better governance
2) Conflict

Prevailing view of Africa in the West: news reportage

and popular culture; the notion of the “Dark
Continent”; conflict, starvation, poverty, refugees,
warlords
The African Renaissance as a means of challenging
this view
Concept of the “failed state” in the 1990s – Eastern
Europe but increasingly Africa as well
 What is a state?
1. Defined territory and borders
2. Provides law and order
3. Development and provision of
infrastructure
4. Holds the monopoly on violence
- A failed state is one that is unable to do any of
this – chaos, violence, no protection of
borders, criminal or terrorist organisations
- Yet “failed state” is not a legal definition
 Somalia: A Failed State?

 Somalia – the Horn of Africa: largely Muslim

and fell under British and Italian rule
Both forming the independent Somali
Republic (1960)
Different clans and political affiliations
competing for power
Conflict with Ethiopia – weakened the govt –
attempted coups and guerrilla movements
Violence, famine, international aid
American and European intervention: film
“Black Hawk Down” (2001) – the role of the
media
Continuation of attempts at peace-keeping –
largely unsuccessful; govt based in Kenya
Tsunami in 2004
First proper elections in 2017 and current state of
tense calm
Is Somalia a failed state? Why?
But what are the implications of using
the term “failed state”?
Lacks clear definition, explanation, context
and history (c0lonialism, the Cold War)
A Western notion of a “state” as the norm
with the failure of “good governance”
(Remember the World Bank and the IMF)
Racial thinking and Africa as the “Dark
Continent” (Note the “civilising mission” of
imperialism)