The Politics of Non-State Security Provision in Burkina Faso
Koglweogo Self-Defence Groups’ Ambiguous Pursuit of Recognition
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6020179 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Philippe M Frowd (0000-0002-1368-1154, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 121 |
| Issue | 482 |
| Pages | 109-130 |
| Publication date | 2022-03-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | African Affairs (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0001-9909 • E-ISSN: 1468-2621 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/afraf/adab033 |
| OpenAlex | W4211215540 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
This article examines the rise of the koglweogo self-defence groups in Burkina Faso, developing an empirical analysis of their practices and a conceptual approach to their ambiguous status. The article describes the ‘koglweogos’’ rise since 2014, their growth across urban and rural areas in Burkina Faso, and their involvement in tasks from crime-fighting to counterterrorism. The article builds on the existing literature on vigilantism and security provision in African states and outlines a conceptual framework highlighting the koglweogos’ pursuit of recognition. The koglweogo toggle between overlapping ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ repertoires of security discourse and practice, pursuing recognition as security professionals but also the autonomy and flexibility of working in the margins. This emphasizes the symbolic value, social and political contestability, discursive construction, and imaginaries of security whilst eschewing a state/non-state binary. The article draws on fieldwork carried out with multiple koglweogo groups to highlight their role as auxiliaries in global security governance, their production of security claims in the absence of recognition, their production of public authority, and their relationship of collaboration with and contestation of the state. The article concludes with reflections on the broader utility of the concept of ‘security amateur’ in Africa and further afield
Amateur · Autonomy · Conceptual framework · Corporate governance · Critical security studies · Economics · Human security · Management · Network security policy · Ontological security · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Security studies · Social science · Sociology · State (computer science) · African Studies and Ethnography · Global Security and Public Health · Law · Peacebuilding and International Security · Public Administration
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,33 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |