Abstract
In Burkina Faso, the recent emergence of the “koglweogo” vigilante groups is often explained as a result of a “security vacuum.” This explanation, however, tends to depoliticize the power relations that underlie the phenomenon of vigilantism. In this article we analyze the justifications for the emergence and work of koglweogo groups and for the national policy of community-based policing that aims to give these groups a mandate. This analysis helps shine a light on the power struggles that underlie the determination of the notion of security itself. It is through these political and economic power relations that we understand the emergence and “success” of these vigilante groups within a dynamic of state formation.
Translated title of the contribution | Politicizing the security vacuum: On the koglweogo vigilante groups in Burkina Faso: On the koglweogo vigilante groups in Burkina Faso |
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Original language | French |
Pages (from-to) | 127-144 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Politique Africaine |
Volume | 163 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Political Science