Publication
Title
Resisting ownership : the paralysis of EU peacebuilding in the Congo
Author
Abstract
This article analyzes how the idea of local ownership is functioning in the context of security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a focus on European Union's efforts in the area. The authors argue that despite discursive emphasis on ownership, in practice local resistance in combination with the notion of security sector reform and the idea of ownership being externally constructed concepts with vague definitions create counterproductive dynamics between local and international actors. The result has been a paralysis of the security sector reform efforts in the Congo. Real progress in security sector reform is possible only if the local authorities own the reforms, but if progress means less power for these authorities, they are unlikely to sustain it. While the literature traditionally emphasizes the role of external inconsistency in ownership's shortcomings, this article demonstrates that a full picture also requires highlighting the local dynamics of ownership resistance.
Language
English
Source (journal)
African security. - Philadelphia, Pa, 2008, currens
Publication
Philadelphia, Pa : 2014
ISSN
1939-2206 [print]
1939-2214 [online]
DOI
10.1080/19392206.2014.880030
Volume/pages
7 :2 (2014) , p. 24-44
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Publication type
Subject
External links
VABB-SHW
Record
Identifier
Creation 15.12.2014
Last edited 22.08.2023
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