Zachariah Mampilly: Africa at a Crossroads: On Violent and Non-Violent Revolutions

The USC Center on Public Diplomacy, the USC Office of Religious Life, and the USC Department of Political Science were pleased to host Professor Zachariah Cherian Mampilly for a conversation about his new book, "Rebel Rulers: Insurgent Governance and Civilian Life during War" (Cornell University Press 2011).

Perhaps not since the heady days of independence has the African continent been roiled by so many political and economic convulsions. From the non-violent protests across the continent to more violent ongoing confrontations, a new political dispensation is coming into view, shaking off the last vestiges of the Cold War stereotypes of the continent. Combined with the entry of the Asian powers into Africa's economy, the sense that anything is possible leaves many hopeful about the future of the demographically young continent. At the same time, regressive forces remain at play, stifling popular protest and seeking to preserve the old order.

Focusing on popular protest, both violent and non-violent, this talk examined various challenges to the contemporary African political landscape while offering an assessment of the possible new dispensations coming into being.

SYNOPSIS
Professor Zachariah Mampilly discussed his recent book “Rebel Rulers,” an analysis of how rebel rulers provide public goods in areas of insurgency. The book looks at the level of civilian access to services like medical care, schooling and legal services that are provided from those other than governments.

Mampilly suggests that there is a need for international governments to develop a more formalized and substantive process to recognize insurgent governments as opposed to relying on geopolitical machinations.

‘Some groups we frame in the language of freedom fighters; others we treat like terrorists,” said Mampilly.” But none of this is actually based on the actual behavior of insurgencies on the ground.” There needs to be better recognition of the treatment of citizens by insurgent governments.

He provided the example of the Libyan insurgency and the accommodations made by foreign governments to help the rebels gain international legitimacy “despite the fact that they were not necessarily the best in providing governance to civilians who lived in eastern Libya during the war.”

Mampilly’s rebel framework presents a challenge to traditional public diplomacy. Are African rebels conducting public diplomacy? Can they be considered legitimate actors in public diplomacy? Mampilly's framework advances our understanding of how such non-state actors can activate their networks and impact political agendas in the region.

Referencing the KONY 2012 campaign he questioned the assumption, which he called a “trap,” that militarization and violence are the only way to bring change to Africa, Mampilly argued that the U.S. needs to move away from its position of “strong men rule” and focus on other avenues. With the steady decline of violent politics in Africa, attention needs to be paid to non-violent, political protests.

About Professor Mampilly
Zachariah Mampilly is Assistant Professor in the Departments of Political Science, International Studies & Africana Studies at Vassar College. His research focuses on the nature of contemporary conflict processes, with an emphasis on Africa and South Asia. Based on field-work behind insurgent lines in D.R. Congo, Sri Lanka and Sudan, his first book, Rebel Rulers: Insurgent Governance and Civilian Life during War, was published by Cornell University Press in 2011. In addition, he has an interest in international relations theory and the global South and is working on a project examining contemporary Indian-African relations. Mampilly teaches courses on civil wars and rebel movements; terrorism; race, ethnicity and nationalism; and the international relations of the Third World.