Crisis of the State and Civil Domains in Africa

1 December 2006

David Sogge

Mariano Aguirre and David Sogge

The weakness of the state in Africa stems from the colonial period, and it has suffered further blows from neoliberal policies since the 1980s. The process of state reform should combine traditional with modern forms, and be cautious about the promotion of "civil society" as a universal remedy. In places where global interests interact with national weaknesses, the progress of citizenship has been on hold or has regressed.
statecrisisinafrica.pdf (414 Kb)

About the authors

David Sogge

Based in Amsterdam, David works as an independent researcher and writer. As an associate of the Norwegian think-tank NOREF, he currently focuses on public control over transnational flows affecting societies on the global periphery. Professional activities since 1970 provided a basis for books and articles on the politics of foreign aid, and on Africa, particularly Angola and South Africa. Evaluative research assignments have taken him to Vietnam, Eastern Europe and countries of the former Soviet Union. Trained at Harvard, David earned his graduate degrees from Princeton and the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague.

Recent publications from Peace & Security

How international rules on countering the financing of terrorism impact civil society Making banks and non-profits liable for the acts and social networks of their customers and beneficiaries while holding charities and CSOs responsible for the ‘extremist’ views and actions of their associates stifles freedom of association and expression and promotes self-censorship.	Guns, debt and corruption High levels of military spending played a key role in the unfolding economic crisis in Europe and continues to undermine efforts to resolve it.
Secrets, Lies, & Propaganda After the US embrace of torture after 9/11 it was only a matter of time before Hollywood decided to make a tribute to America’s liberal culture of torture for the big screen; Zero Dark Thirty	The Other Burma Northeast India's strategic location between India, China and southeast Asia has led to a recent boom in resource extraction and investment by multinational corporations, but the world continues to remain largely silent on the human rights abuses that continue to be perpetrated by the Indian military.