From ‘Roving’ to ‘Stationary’ Actors

Understanding the Territorial Logic of Al Shabaab in Somalia

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12976367
AutoresMurat Yesiltaş (0000-0002-1985-8504, Ankara University), Felix Shihundu (0000-0002-8775-6585, Ankara University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2024
Volumen17
Número1-2
Páginas10-34
Fecha de publicación2024-03-07
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAfrican Security (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1939-2206 • E-ISSN: 1939-2214
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/19392206.2024.2327121
OpenAlexW4392553213
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4

Non-state armed actors' (NSAAs) control of territory is not a completely new phenomenon in international politics. However, NSAAs resurgence in the conceptualization and demarcation of both physical and imaginary territorial space has raised the need for a further understanding of their territorial logic. Non-state armed actors continue to seize, occupy, and control territory in a manner that undermines Westphalia tenets of statehood, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. This article attempts to shed some light on the understanding of the territorial logic of NSAAs by innovatively combining three independent and interrelated components that have emerged from NSAAs territorial control. These components include NSAA territorial governance, relations with local civilian populations and ideology guided territorial tactics and strategies. We apply the results to the typical and contemporary case of Al Shabaab in Somalia to generate critical insights into NSAA conceptualization, control and demarcation of physical and imaginary space

Epistemology · Law and economics · Political economy · Political science · Sociology · African history and culture analysis · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · Philosophy