HomeGouvernance locale des crises en Afrique : prévenir, sécuriser et renforcer

Gouvernance locale des crises en Afrique : prévenir, sécuriser et renforcer

Local governance of crises in Africa : prevent, secure, and strengthen

*  *  *

Published on Thursday, March 06, 2025

Abstract

Français English

The objective of this seminar is to foster a thorough and multidisciplinary reflection on the dynamics of crisis governance in Africa, taking into account the diversity of contexts and situations experienced. It also seeks to explore the broad socio-political transformations triggered by these crises, particularly by studying the role of emerging actors.

Announcement

Français English

Argument

Crises reshape political, social and spatial landscapes. Often prolonged and entangled, they disrupt daily life, test established bonds, transform collective imaginaries, and redefine relationships with territories.

Since the beginning of the century, the African continent has experienced the emergence and intensification of risk/crisis situations. Thus, the Great Lakes region, often considered as one of the epicentres of the most intense conflicts, faces resource predation, ethno-community struggles and socio-territorial fragmentation, leading to millions of displaced persons (Pourtier, 2003 ; Gazibo, 2010 ; Chauvin & Magrin, 2020). The African Sahel is also deeply affected, suffering from a succession of intertwined crises, including agro-environmental, food (Janin, 2010 ; Maxwell et al., 2014), economic, political, and security-related challenges (Bat, 2013 ; Bagayoko, 2019). Meanwhile, the Lake Chad region has been particularly entangled in regionalized armed violence, leading to a loss of territorial control (Adder & Wassouni, 2017 ; Magrin & Pérouse de Montclos, 2018). Since the mid-2010s, West Africa has also faced a multidimensional crisis, exacerbated by political ruptures and growing security threats (Kibora, 2020 ; Hagberg et al., 2023).

These situations of crisis – inherited, sudden and (re-) constructed – have major effects : in the short term on the immediate lives of populations, especially in terms of food security, health and education (Béné et al., 2024), while also causing large-scale forced displacements . Additionally, they have long-term economic and human effects, sometimes less visible, yet significant in terms of lost capacities and future potential.

These complex crises illustrate the multiplicity of internal challenges Africa faces, all while being embedded in highly unequal global power dynamics. As such, the African continent is a privileged laboratory to analyse the manifestations, dynamics and effects of crisis situations as well as to study governance/government modes at different scales.

With a first central question : Can we still consider a crisis as a rupture of fragile equilibriums and established orders (Dobry, 2009) or rather as the expression of a tendentious change inscribed at the heart of socio-economic and political systems ? Due to the chronicity of conflicts, political instability, and environmental vulnerabilities, the heuristic value of the concept of crisis in describing contemporary African realities is open to question (Bonnecase & Brachet, 2013).

The boundary between crisis and change thus becomes porous : what was once analyzed as a rupture appears today as a state of permanent disorder (Pérouse de Montclos, 2014). From this perspective, crisis response mechanisms—whether state-led, humanitarian, or community-based— are no longer exceptional measures and instead become ordinary governance tools for crisis-affected territories. This raises questions not only about the governance of protracted crises but also about how these situations redefine the legitimacy of actors and the forms of power at local and regional levels.

The governance of these crises involves and mobilizes various actors : states, international and local institutions, civil society organizations and the affected populations themselves, each with sometimes converging, sometimes conflicting interests (Janin et al., 2021).  Based on coordination (Le Galès, 2014), multi-actor governance often reveals its limits in practice with its lot of misunderstandings, concurrences, tensions and conflicts (Desportes & Hilhorst, 2020). Some actors, because of their historical presence and their ability to mobilize resources, occupy a central position in crisis management mechanisms. However, However, this dynamic can generate tensions, limit the agency of other actors and affect the overall effectiveness of responses (Corbet et al., 2017 ; Desportes et al., 2019 ; Melis & Hilhorst, 2020).

At the same time, within crisis situations, certain actors make an "invisible" contribution to their management/governance. Far from being mere beneficiaries (Olivier de Sardan, 2008), local populations, associations, and informal networks actively contribute to crisis responses (Dazet, 2021 ; Poungong Dzoko, 2024), even though they are not always recognized as legitimate governance actors. Likewise, traders, often organized into networks (Béné et al., 2024), play a key role in supply chains but remain excluded from governance and decision-making arenas. Some collective actions reflect a de-centring and strengthening of the role and legitimacy of grassroots actors in terms of crisis governance.

Thematic Axes

Axis 1 : Methodological approaches and challenges of research in difficult contexts

This axis proposes a reflection on the theoretical frameworks and methodological tools necessary to understand the notions of crisis and crisis governance in various African contexts. The aim is to question the possible biases, the limits of conventional approaches and the innovations needed for relevant research in often difficult-to-access or stressed areas. It also questions the practical and ethical challenges of surveys in areas often marked by instability, insecurity or complex social norms.

Axis 2 : Crisis governance through the lens of the “local”

This axis explores how crises reorganize power relations at the local level and highlights the growing role of local actors in governance. It focuses on changes in governance by highlighting the role of local actors. Far from being mere victims or beneficiaries of humanitarian mechanisms, local populations organize themselves, develop community initiatives and claim a place in crisis response mechanisms. It is also a question of examining how crises reshape the legitimacy of actors and redefine forms of authority and socio-political organization.

Axis 3 : Food supply and security in a crisis context

Food security is a priority in many crisis situations in Africa. In a context where access to food is becoming a major issue, this axis explores the strategies put in place by states, international organizations and local communities to guarantee food despite recurring shocks. It therefore questions the limits of humanitarian response models and, above all, in a perspective of strengthening food self-sufficiency, local initiatives and alternative adaptation strategies developed by local populations and actors.

 Axis 4 : Conflicts, crises and mechanisms for forcing displacement management

The multiplication of armed conflicts in Africa leads to massive forced displacement that disrupts socio-spatial structures and challenges traditional models of governance. This axis analyses the interactions between armed conflicts, crises and mechanisms for managing forced displacement. It highlights the way in which responses to protracted crises are no longer only exceptional, but become ordinary tools for managing territories in crisis. It will also examine how these dynamics influence the structuring of reception spaces and redefine relations between displaced populations, host communities and local institutions.

Submission procedures and practical information

Paper proposals in French or English should be submitted

no later than Wednesday, April 16, 2025

to the following email address : seminaire.gcrises.afrique@gmail.com.

Proposals must include the precise contact details of the author(s) (status, email, full address).

They must include :

  • 1/ A title,
  • 2/ A context,
  • 3/ A problem,
  • 4/ Assumptions,
  • 5/ A methodology and
  • 6/ the main results.

Communications from all disciplines of the humanities and social sciences are expected : history, sociology, political science, anthropology, geography, etc. Young researchers are particularly welcome.

Key Deadlines

  • Deadline for receipt of abstracts of proposals of up to 500 words is April 16, 2025
  • Scientific Committee response date : April, 2025
  • Start of seminar series : May, 2025
  • End of seminar series : July 2025

Scientific Committee

  • Vincent BONNECASE (Politist, CNRS, Institut des mondes africains, France)
  • Éric Joël FOFIRI NZOSSIE (Geographer, University of Ngaoundéré, Cameroon)
  • Pierre JANIN (Geographer, IRD, UMR Développement et sociétés, France)
  • Ludovic Ouhonyioué KIBORA (Anthropologist, CNRST, Institut des sciences des sociétés, Burkina Faso)

Organizing team

  • Ghislain POUNGONG DZOKO (UMR Développement et sociétés, Université of Maroua/ Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)
  • Armel ABEGA MWASSENA (Institut des politiques et des initiatives sociales / Institut catholique de Yaoundé)
  • Annélie Delescluse, (Sociologue, FNRS/ Université de Liège)

Bibliographical references

Adder, G. A., & Wassouni, F. (2017). Regards croisés sur le phénomène Boko Haram. Éditions du Schabel.

Bagayoko, N. (2019). Le multilatéralisme sécuritaire africain à l’épreuve de la crise sahélienne. Chaire Raoul Dandurand/Centre Franco-Paix de l’Université Québec Montréal (UQAM). https ://dandurand.uqam.ca/publication/le-multilateralisme-securitaire-africain-a-lepreuve-de-la-crisesahelienne/

Bat, J.-P. (2013). Michel Galy (dir.). La Guerre au Mali. Comprendre la crise au Sahel et au Sahara. Enjeux et zones d’ombre. Afrique contemporaine, n° 247(3), 145‑148. Cairn.info. https ://doi.org/10.3917/afco.247.0145

Béné, C., d’Hôtel, E. M., Pelloquin, R., Badaoui, O., Garba, F., & Sankima, J. W. (2024). Resilience – and collapse – of local food systems in conflict affected areas ; reflections from Burkina Faso. World Development, 176, 106521. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106521

Bonnecase, V., & Brachet, J. (2013). Les «  crises sahéliennes  » entre perceptions locales et gestions internationales. Politique africaine| Karthala, vol 2(30), Article 30. https ://doi.org/10.3917/polaf.130.0005

Chauvin, E., & Magrin, G. (2020). Violences et régionalisation en Afrique centrale. Belgeo [En ligne], 4. https ://doi.org/10.4000/belgeo.43632

Corbet, A., Ambrosetti, D., Bayle, G., & Labzae, M. (2017). Agents de l’État et acteurs humanitaires  : Enjeux d’une interdépendance négociée. Étude de cas à Gambella. Fonds Croix-Rouge Française, 26 pages.

Dazet, F. (2021). « Remettre la vie parmi nous ». Expériences de la faim et organisation paysanne dans le Bas Nord-Ouest haïtien. Tracés. Revue de Sciences humaines [En ligne], 41 | mis en ligne le 31 décembre 2021, consulté le 12 avril 2022. http://journals.openedition.org/traces/12625

Desportes, I., & Hilhorst, D. (2020). Disaster governance in conflict-affected authoritarian contexts  : The cases of Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe. Politics and Governance, vol 8(4), Article 4. https ://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v8i4.3127

Desportes, I., Mandefro, H., & Hilhorst, D. (2019). The humanitarian theatre  : Drought response during Ethiopia’s low-intensity conflict of 2016. Journal of Modern African Studies, vol 57(1), Article 1. https ://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X18000654

Dobry, M. (2009). Sociologie des crises politiques. La dynamique des mobilisations multisectorielles : vol. 3e éd. Presses de Sciences Po ; Cairn.info. https ://doi.org/10.3917/scpo.dobry.2009.01

Gazibo, M. (2010). 6. La géographie de l’instabilité post-guerre froide en Afrique. In Introduction à la politique africaine [en ligne]. http://books.openedition.org/pum/6385

Hagberg, S., Kibora, L. O., Barry, S., Gnessi, S., Konkobo, A., Koné, B., & Zongo, B. (2023). Sécurity from below in Burkina Faso. uppsala universitet, 123. https ://doi.org/ISBN : 978-91-506-2980-4 (print)

Janin, P. (2010). La lutte contre l’insécurité alimentaire au Sahel  : Permanence des questionnements et évolution des approches.

Janin, P., La Valle, N., Lhuissier, A., & Ribémont, T. (2021). Batailles de la faim  : Jeux d’acteurs, d’échelles et de pouvoir (Vol. 2). http://journals.openedition.org/traces/12545

Kibora, L. O. (2020). Le terrorisme, l’anthropologie sociale et l’éthique. In Conflits armés et insécurités dans le sahel ouest-africain  : Défis et implications pour la recherche et l’éducation (p. 23‑36).

Le Galès, P. (2014). Gouvernance. In Dictionnaire des politiques publiques : vol. 4e éd. (p. 299‑308). Presses de Sciences Po ; Cairn.info. https ://doi.org/10.3917/scpo.bouss.2014.01.0299

Magrin, G., & Pérouse de Montclos, M. A. (2018). Crise et développement  : La région du lac Tchad à l’épreuve de Boko Haram. http://editions.afd.fr/

Maxwell, D., Majid, N., Stobaugh, H., Janet Kim, J., Lauer, J., & Paul, E. (2014). Lessons Learned from the Somalia Famine and the Greater Horn of Africa Crisis, 2011–2012. Feinstein International Center.

Melis, S., & Hilhorst, D. (2020). When the mountain broke  : Disaster governance in Sierra Leone. Disaster Prevention and Management : An International Journal, 12 p.

Olivier de Sardan, J. P. (2008). La crise alimentaire vue d’en bas. Afrique contemporaine.

Pérouse de Montclos, M.-A. (2014). Crises et migrations effets de rhétorique autour d’un enjeu politique. Chapitre 1. In Crises et migrations dans les pays du sud. Harmattan.

Poungong Dzoko, G. (2024). Gouvernances «  par le haut  » et «  par le bas  »  : Quelle place pour les réfugiés au camp de Minawao (Cameroun)  ? Colloque scientifique international MOCTE- 2024 «  Mobilités, Culture et Territoire  » À la lecture des liens mobilités et gouvernances territoriales.

Pourtier, R. (2003). L’Afrique centrale dans la tourmente. Les enjeux de la guerre et de la paix au Congo et alentour. Hérodote, N° 111(4), 11‑39. Cairn.info. https ://doi.org/10.3917/her.111.0011.


Date(s)

  • Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Keywords

  • gouvernance locale, crise, afrique

Contact(s)

  • Ghislain Poungong Dzoko
    courriel : ghislain [dot] poungong-dzoko [at] ird [dot] fr
  • Armel Abega Mwassena
    courriel : armeldieudonne [at] yahoo [dot] com

Information source

  • Ghislain Poungong Dzoko
    courriel : ghislain [dot] poungong-dzoko [at] ird [dot] fr

License

CC0-1.0 This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.

To cite this announcement

« Gouvernance locale des crises en Afrique : prévenir, sécuriser et renforcer », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Thursday, March 06, 2025, https://doi.org/10.58079/13fjw

Archive this announcement

  • Google Agenda
  • iCal
Search OpenEdition Search

You will be redirected to OpenEdition Search