Author: Elvis Munyoka
School of Social and Political Sciences
University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
Elvis.Munyoka@glasgow.ac.uk
Abstract
Rebel governance has existed in the saga of internal conflict, but it has not received the same attention as other aspects of civil wars. Rebel groups have been depicted as violent warlords, especially those in developing countries. Although some rebel groups suit this categorisation, the assumption is deceitful to several modern-day insurrections. This paper examines why some rebel groups participate in governance practises such as taxation, local administration, health care and education, while others do not through the lens of two insurgent groups that show clear differences, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Lord’s Resistance Army. This research is based on an analysis of published studies in the form of journal papers and books on civil war studies; therefore, it is primarily a literature review. This paper argues that the participation of a rebel group in governance is contingent on various aspects such as the ideological foundation, territorial control, funding sources, objectives, peacekeepers presence, and external military support. Order and stability benefit rebel groups by ensuring reliable access to food, recruits, military intelligence, and humanitarian aid. This paper contributes to the rebel governance body of knowledge by exploring aspects that determine the participation of rebel groups in governance activities.
Key words: Rebel governance, rebel groups, LTTE, LRA, civil war
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Suggested Citation
Munyoka, E. (2020). Causes of rebel groups engagement in governance activities: a comparative analysis of LTTE and LRA governance regimes in Africa. African Research Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 7(2), 213-221. Available online at http://arjess.org/social-sciences-research/causes-of-rebel-groups-engagement-in-governance-activities-a-comparative-analysis-of-ltte-and-lra-governance-regimes-in-africa.pdf
