Lynne Rienner African Guerrillas: Raging Against the Machine

At the center of many of Africa's violent conflicts are movements that do not seem to fit any established theories of armed resistance. ""African Guerrillas"" offers new models for understanding these movements, eschewing one-dimensional explanations. The authors build on - and in some cases debate - the insights provided in Christopher Clapham's groundbreaking work. They find a new generation of fighters - one that reflects rage against the machinery of a dysfunctional state. Their analysis of this phenomenon, combining thematic chapters and a range of representative case studies, is a crucial contribution to any effort to understand Africa's war-torn societies. Review This is a major contribution to our understanding of the motives and circumstances behind some of the most brutal civil wars on the continent. - Rene Lemarchand, University of Florida ""A sophisticated and detailed treatment of contemporary African civil wars that goes well beyond earlier contributions."" - M. Crawford Young, University of Wisconsin - Madison Synopsis At the center of many of Africa's violent conflicts are movements that do not seem to fit any established theories of armed resistance. "African Guerrillas" offers new models for understanding these movements, eschewing one-dimensional explanations. The authors build on - and in some cases debate - the insights provided in Christopher Clapham's groundbreaking work. They find a new generation of fighters - one that reflects rage against the machinery of a dysfunctional state. Their analysis of this phenomenon, combining thematic chapters and a range of representative case studies, is a crucial contribution to any effort to understand Africa's war-torn societies. About the Author Morten Boas is researcher at Fafo - Institute for Applied International Studies in Oslo. His recent publications include Global Institutions and Development: Framing the World? and New and Critical Security and Regionalism: Beyond the Nation State. Kevin C. Dunn is assistant professor of political science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. He is author of Imagining the Congo: The International Relations of Identity and coeditor of Identity and Global Politics: Theoretical and Empirical Elaborations.