Violence in African Elections : Between Democracy and Big Man Politics.

Cover -- About the editors -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction: The everyday politics of electoral violence in Africa -- The phenomenon of electoral violence -- Looking beyond the national: shifting the level of analysis -- Between democracy and Big Man politics -- 'Stomach infrastructure', high stakes, and the struggle for power at the centre -- Competition, ethno-regional politics and close races -- Institutional (dis)incentives and constraints on violence -- Chapter outline -- References -- 1: Ethnic politics and elite competition: the roots of electoral violence in Kenya -- Introduction -- Ethnic politics, identity formation and electoral violence -- Kenya's violent transition -- The 1992 elections -- Exclusionary ethnic identity and victimisation -- Ethnic political mobilisation -- Electoral violence beyond 1992 -- Conclusions -- Notes -- References -- 2: Wielding the stick again: the rise and fall and rise of state violence during presidential elections in Uganda -- Introduction -- Previous research on government-sponsored violence -- Framework and argument: competition, rewards, sanctions and experiences -- Electoral authoritarianism and the ebb and flow of state-organised violence in Uganda -- 1996-2006: from consent to challenge and crackdown -- 2011: toleration outweighing repression -- 2016: repression outweighing toleration again -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- References -- 3: Land conflict and electoral violence in Côte d'Ivoire: a micro-level analysis -- Introduction -- Contentious politics around land and elections in Côte d'Ivoire -- Land conflict in the western cocoa regions: a micro-level perspective -- Lack of integration of migrant populations -- Autochthons' loss of land -- The disputed nature of land sales -- The weakening of chieftaincies.

Land conflict and electoral violence: the 'joint production of action' -- Conclusions: the politics of land in the 2015 elections and beyond -- Notes -- References -- 4: The geography of violence in Burundi's 2015 elections -- Introduction -- Electoral violence in Burundi -- The build-up to the 2015 elections -- The controversy over Pierre Nkurunziza's candidacy -- Understanding Burundi's geography of violence -- Why the capital was the primary site of violence -- Why some neighbourhoods of Bujumbura were left untouched by violence -- Why violence in the provinces was limited to specific districts -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 5: Competition, uncertainty and violence in Sierra Leone's swing district -- Introduction -- Political competition, swing areas and electoral violence -- Elections and violence in Sierra Leone -- The strategic logic of electoral violence in Kono -- Swinging the vote and tipping the balance -- Holding ground and making inroads -- The intra-party struggle for power -- Forceful intermediaries: local chiefs and traditional authorities -- Local gangs and foot soldiers of violence -- Concluding remarks -- Notes -- References -- 6: Ex-militants and electoral violence in Nigeria's Niger Delta -- Introduction -- Ex-combatants and electoral violence in post-conflict societies -- Electoral violence and armed militancy in Nigeria's Niger Delta -- The limits of Nigeria's DDR programme -- Ex-militants and electoral violence in Nigeria's Niger Delta -- Regional dynamics -- Ex-militants and electoral violence during the 2015 elections -- Bayelsa State -- Rivers State -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 7: The winner takes it all: post-war rebel networks, Big Man politics, and the threat of violence in the 2011 Liberian election -- Introduction -- Post-conflict elections - the final break with war?.

Liberia's recent history of electoral violence -- The 2011 Liberian elections and the involvement of ex-combatants -- Winston Tubman and the vigilante leader -- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the former LURD general -- Winners and losers in the 2011 elections -- The potential of post-war rebel networks for electoral violence -- Post-war rebel networks as a resource for stability and livelihood -- Conclusions -- Notes -- References -- 8: Parasitic politics: violence, deception and change in Kenya's electoral politics -- Introduction -- Deception and violence as political participation -- 'The born-again Mau Mau': Mungiki's economic and cultural background -- Mobilising the masses -- Mobilising the youth for change -- Harbingers of death: religious appearances, mythological references and violent potential -- Parasitic politics: forceful takeovers from the inside -- The Mugumo tree -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 9: Eclectic ties and election touts: Chipangano's cyclic governance agenda in Mbare, Zimbabwe -- Introduction -- The background to violent electioneering in Zimbabwe -- Introducing Chipangano's informal economy of violence -- Chipangano's governance agenda: controlling elections and earnings -- Violent electioneering -- Downsizing and sizing up Big Men: Chipangano's leadership -- Controlling informal sector earnings -- Chipangano within the Big Man agenda: spillages for pillaging -- Elections and control in Mbare: elevating and relegating Big Men -- Conclusion: the timely emergence of Big Men with specific agendas -- Notes -- References -- 10: Patronage politics and electoral violence in Lagos, Nigeria: understanding the micro-level dynamics -- Introduction -- The politics of transportation -- Transportation and the dynamics of patronage -- Politicised spaces -- Tactical agency from below -- Elections and 'stomach infrastructure'.

Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 11: 'Once they all pick their guns you can have your way': campaigning and talking about violence in northern Ghana -- Introduction -- Talking about violence in electoral campaigns -- Challenging the model: elections and verbal violence in Ghana -- Presidential campaigning and the 'violent north' -- Big Men politics, rumours and the youth -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Conclusion: Beyond democracy and Big Man politics -- Introduction -- Between and below: other expressions of electoral violence -- Electoral violence as contentious politics? -- The micro-level turn in studies of electoral violence -- Reciprocal relations and mutually reinforced dependencies -- Towards a 'historical turn' in the study of electoral violence -- Policy implications -- Encourage processes and reforms that lower the stakes of elections -- Support the broader process of democratisation beyond election support -- Expand the concept and practice of election observation and monitoring -- Rethink electoral security -- Address unresolved conflicts at the local level -- Notes -- References -- About the contributors -- Index.

A comprehensive examination of the causes of Africa's violent electoral clashes, and the consequences for African democratization and peace-keeping.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.