Political Competition and Conflict Across African States
Professor Raleigh’s research is concentrated on domestic governance and political violence patterns across African states. Her newest project looks at elite networks, and how relationships between political elites and regimes incentivize peace and conflict. The professorial lecture will concentrate on whether African governments are balanced or biased in their representation of key political, ethnic and regional communities. Further, it will ask whether different representation levels and change in political power across communities create more or less political violence in response. It argues that modern African conflict is a contest for power, often between strong elites. This violence demonstrates the capabilities of individual elites, allows competition with other elites, and their respective militias. Domestic politics causes conflict in states where elite co-option and regime consolidation is the primary goal of governments. These conclusions have significant consequences for conflict studies and governance across developing states.
This is a free, open lecture organised by Sussex university – everyone is welcome, but numbers are limited.
Refreshments provided.