Seminar: Anticipating the revolt: A new view of military mutinies in West and Central Africa
Military mutinies in Sierra Leone
This presentation by Maggie Dwyer (University of Saint Andrews and University of Edinburgh) takes a new approach to military mutinies in West and Central Africa, using an original dataset covering the occurrence of mutinies over a fifty-two year period. Moving away from the more standard approach that views mutinies as singular, exceptional events, this project observes mutinies as a recurring phenomenon in the region. While there are a variety of factors that go into a unit’s risky decision to revolt, this research identifies multiple situations that can trigger mutinies. In particular, the findings suggest that there is a trend of mutinies following (peacekeeping) deployments and democratization pressures. Field research in Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, and The Gambia involving interviews with former mutineers provides unique insights into the perspectives of those who counter their hierarchy. The presentation will attempt to answer the question of whether we can anticipate the next revolt.
Maggie Dwyer completed a PhD in African Studies at the University of Edinburgh, with previous degrees in Political Science and Psychology. She teaches courses related to politics and security in Africa at the University of Saint Andrews and the University of Edinburgh. Her PhD research project examined military indiscipline in West and Central Africa. Findings from this project have been accepted for publication in African Affairs and Politique Africaine as well as presented to government agencies such as the US State Department. Her academic research interests build on a previous career working on African security issues for the US government.
Date, time and location
29 January 2015
15.30 - 17.00
Pieter de la Courtgebouw / Faculty of Social Sciences, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden
Room 3A06 (third floor)
Registration
Posted on 5 December 2014, last modified on 16 February 2017