The 'Masai' and miraa: public authority, vigilance and criminality in a Ugandan border town

Recent studies on vigilante groups show how they often begin as popular schemes for imposing order, before degenerating into violent militias which contribute in turn to social and political disorder. The Masai, a group of khat sellers and consumers in the Ugandan border town of Bwera, represent a more complex case. By using vigilance tactics in the provision of security, the Masai actually help to shape public authority within Bwera town instead of creating institutional chaos. They also provide a range of services, imposing a degree of order on illegal cross-border activities in the area. However, a closer look at the Masai shows that their vigilance activities are mainly performed out of self-interest, as a quid pro quo enabling them to continue their illegal activities of smuggling, general criminality outside town and illegal drug use. Therefore they straddle the 'crime or social order' dynamic, representing a criminal gang of illegal drug traffickers which also provides services for public community interests. As such, they contribute to both order and crime

Governance and post-conflict reconstruction in Northern Uganda

On 07 and 08 November, a conference on governance and post-conflict reconstruction took place in Gulu, hosted by the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS, University of Gulu) and co-organised by the Institute of Development Policy and Management (University of Antwerp) the JSRP partner Conflict Research Group (University of Ghent). Tim Allen and Holly Porter of the Justice and Security Research Program participated in the conference

Community-based initiatives in response to the OVC crisis in North Central Uganda

In response to the orphan crisis, a number of community initiatives have proliferated to enhance service delivery to OVCs (Orphans and other Vulnerable Children). Part of the literature paints a bleak and pessimistic picture: it believes that community based support interventions anchored on the family are faltering under the weight of increasing number of orphans; while others argue that communities are innovative and resilient to the extent that they have devised new coping strategies. The paper shows how OVC community responses in Northern Uganda are under severe pressure from a range of factors; but how these community initiatives are not collapsing – as the ‘social rupture’ thesis predicts. Instead, these community initiatives are dynamic and constantly evolving through various mechanisms to respond to the challenges of meeting the needs of the orphans. The paper shows how some of these initiatives are more successful than others in doing so.

LSE Research: Museveni’s changing strategies for political control mean continued uncertainty for Uganda’s informal workers

Tom Goodfellow is based in LSE’s Department of International Development. In a new paper, research conducted by himself and Kristof Titeca (of the University of Antwerp) reveals how informal workers on Kampala’s streets leverage protection from the Ugandan President, paralysing the city government in the process

Don’t forget the forgotten conflict. Egmont Commentary, 30 July 2009

Kristof Titeka, Joost Van Puijenbroeck and Koen Vlassenroot ask to the Belgian Foreign Minister, Mr Yves Leterme more attention to Conflict with the LRA rebels in Uganda, DR Congo, sudan and Central African Republic

Russian influence, anti-Western sentiments and African agency: The struggle for influence in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Russia has been trying to extend its influence over Africa over the last years; a process which became intensified due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Through the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this article shows that although Russia plays an active role in this quest for influence by offering incentives (such as those shipments of weapons), anti-Western sentiments in the DRC are at least as important. These sentiments have been magnified by the M23 rebellion and perceptions of Western complicity in this crisis. This has resulted in pressure within the Congolese administration, particularly from the security forces, to “shift to Russia,” as well as Western efforts to counter this influence. At the same time, this ‘neo-Cold War’ has offered opportunities for political leverage by the Congolese government, to exercise pressure on Western governments – something which has not always been successful

Bridging community associations in post-con£ict Burundi: the di⁄cultmerging of social capital endowments and new ‘institutional settings’

Associations have been labelled the main 'building blocks' for creating social capital. It has been argued that community associations need to transform 'bonding' into 'bridging' ties to 'reach out' while also creating 'linking' ties to 'scale up'. External development actions follow a reverse logic in promoting these associations: they assume that linking ties with the external intervener will reinforce prior social capital endowments. This article highlights the inherent difficulties of such a 'social engineering' approach in the context of post-conflict reconstruction, describing three development interventions in the north of Burundi. It defines the process of 'institutional syncretism' - merging local with global institutional settings - as a key element to social capital building. The findings illustrate how the three interventions failed to reach this objective, and question 'bridging' associations as 'universal blueprints' for restoring social cohesion within the liberal peace model for post-conflict reconstruction