Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores the issue of collapsed states with reference to William
Reno's (2001) theory. Since the end of the Cold War we find in many places that
the state itself has collapsed. According to this thesis state collapse refers to a
situation where the structure, authority, laws and political order have fallen apart.
The phenomenon of collapsed states is historic and worldwide, but nowhere are
there more examples than in contemporary Africa. Sierra Leone is an example
of a collapsed state in Africa. The state in Sierra Leone was after the
commencement of the conflict in 1991 not capable of performing the duties which
are required of a state when a state wants to be called a state. Governments in
collapsed states lack the capacity to make binding, effective decisions. As a
basic institution, the state loses its sovereignty as the most central institution in
the society.
Resource wars are nowadays a characteristic of collapsed states like Sierra
Leone. Resources are used by key figures in the resource wars to enrich
themselves. They also exploit the resources to finance their actions and
propaganda. Diamonds was the resource which was exploited commercially by
the 'government' and Foday Sankoh, a rebel/insurgent, as well as Charles
Taylor, a warlord. The resource war was one of the reasons why the state in
Sierra Leone collapsed further. It had lead to the total collapse of the state in
Sierra Leone.
With the commencement of the conflict in Sierra Leone, the issue of
peacemaking came to the fore in Sierra Leone. The conflict in Sierra Leone was
an intrastate conflict. The primary goal of the United Nations (UN) is to maintain
international security and peace. Intrastate conflicts do not form part of the UN's
traditional mandate regarding peacemaking. The UN thus had no basic
framework of how to get involved in the intrastate conflict in Sierra Leone. The
UN only became involved in 1999 in the form of UNAMSIL. Before the intervention of the UN, the 'government' of Sierra Leone turned to Private Military
Companies (PMC's) in the form of Executive Outcomes and Sandline
International. The problem with the intervention of PMC's in a conflict is that they
are not sanctioned by international organisations like the UN. As a regional
initiative, ECOWAS in the form of ECOMOG, also became involved in Sierra
Leone. The intervention of both ECOMOG and PMC's in Sierra Leone failed to
produce peace or the restoration of the state. Only the UN achieved
peacemaking and the holding of an election.
The conclusion of this thesis is that Sierra Leone fits in the theory of Reno (2001 )
re collapsed states. Sierra Leone is a typical example of a collapsed state and it
also illustrates the validity of the concept. This however does not mean that
Sierra Leone will be a collapsed state forever. There is the possibility that Sierra
Leone can make a transition from a collapsed state to a stronger state to a more
stable and functional state. It need, however, be noted that all conclusions in this
thesis are of a preliminary nature. The conclusions will therefore be subject to
further confirmation by later studies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis verken die kwessie van vervalle state met verwysing na William
Reno (2001) se teorie. Sedert veral die einde van die Koue Oorlog vind ons die
tendens dat verskeie state verval het. In hierdie tesis verwys die konsep van 'n
vervalle staat na 'n situasie waar die struktuur, gesag, politieke orde en wette
uitmekaar geval het. Die verskynsel van vervalle state is histories en kom
wêreldwyd voor. Kontemporêre Afrika verskaf egter die meeste voorbeelde van
vervalle state. Sierra Leone is 'n voorbeeld van so 'n vervalle staat. Na die
aanvang van die konflik in 1991 was die staat in Sierra Leone nie meer daartoe
instaat om die funksies te verrig wat van 'n staat vereis word indien so 'n staat as
'n staat geag wil word nie. Die 'regering' in 'n vervalle staat beskik nie meer oor
die kapasiteit om bindende, effektiewe besluite te neem nie. Die staat, as 'n
basiese instelling, verloor sy soewereiniteit as die sentrale instelling in die
samelewing.
Die verval van 'n staat word toenemend met die uitbreek van 'n konflik- in hierdie
geval 'n- hulpbronoorlog gekenmerk. Hulpbronne word deur die sleutelfigure,
wat betrokke is in die hulpbronoorlog in die vervalle staat, gebruik om hulself te
verryk. Hierdie hulpbronne word ook gebruik om die sleutelfigure se aksies en
propaganda te finansier. Diamante is as hulpbron in Sierra Leone deur die
'regering' en Foday Sankoh, 'n rebellinsurgent, asook Charles Taylor, 'n
oorlogsbaron, kommersieël uitgebuit. Die burgeroorlog met sy talle fasette, het
tot die totale verval van die staat aanleiding gegee.
Die kwessie van vredemaak het met die uitbreek van die konflik in Sierra Leone
na vore getree. Die konflik in Sierra Leone was 'n intrastaatkonflik. Die primêre
doel van die Verenigde Nasies (VN) is om internasionale vrede en sekuriteit te
handhaaf. Intrastaatkonflikte as sulks maak nie deel uit van die tradisionele
opdrag van die VN betreffende vredemaak nie. Die VN het gevolglik nie oor 'n
basiese raamwerk beskik van hoe om by die intrastaatkonflik in Sierra Leone betrokke te raak nie. Die VN het eers in 1999 in die vorm van UNAMSIL in
Sierra Leone betrokke geraak. Voor die intervensie van die VN het die 'regering'
van Sierra Leone hom tot Private Militêre Bystand (PMB) in die vorm van
'Executive Outcomes' en 'Sandline International' gewend. Die problematiek
insake PMB is dat dit nie deur internasioale organisasies soos die VN
gesanksioneer word nie. As 'n regionale inisiatief het ECOWAS ook in die vorm
van ECOMOG by die intrastaatkonflik in Sierra Leone betrokke geraak. In
hierdie tesis sal daar gemeld word dat beide ECOMOG en PMB, met die
uitsondering van die VN, se pogings vir vredemaak in Sierra Leone gefaal het.
Die slotsom waartoe hierdie tesis kom is dat Sierra Leone inpas by Reno (2001)
se teorie insake die verskynsel van vervalle state. Sierra Leone is 'n tipiese
voorbeeld van 'n vervalle staat en dit illustreer die geldigheid van die konsep. Dit
beteken egter nie dat Sierra Leone permanent 'n vervalle staat hoef te wees nie.
Die moontlikheid bestaan wel dat Sierra Leone die oorgang vanaf 'n vervalle
staat na 'n stabieler, meer funksionele staat kan maak. Dit dien egter gemeld te
word dat alle afleidings in hierdie tesis as voorlopig van aard beskou kan word.
Hierdie afleidings is onderhewig aan verdere bevestiging of weerlegging deur
latere studies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53776 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Van Schalkwyk, Denver Christopher |
| Contributors | Breytenbach, W. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 83 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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