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6 - The State

from Part II - Uganda and Beyond

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2020

Janet I. Lewis
Affiliation:
George Washington University, Washington DC
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Summary

This chapter examines evidence for the book’s arguments about the state’s behavior related to deterring and defeating new rebel groups. It shows that by developing institutions through which the central government learned fine-grained information about threats emanating from its territory, the post-1986 Ugandan state gradually gained an informational advantage relative to would-be insurgents. These institutions enabled the state to identify incipient insurrections and to “nip them in the bud” before they gained substantial military capacity. Extensive evidence from interviews with former rebel leaders, government intelligence officials, and civilians shows that the state’s ability to collect information about internal threats was an important component of prospective rebels’ calculations of whether or not to organize violence. This chapter’s focus on Uganda presents a rare opportunity to observe a transition from state fragility to relative stability. It also discusses the relevance of these arguments to other African countries.

Type
Chapter
Information
How Insurgency Begins
Rebel Group Formation in Uganda and Beyond
, pp. 176 - 202
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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  • The State
  • Janet I. Lewis, George Washington University, Washington DC
  • Book: How Insurgency Begins
  • Online publication: 18 September 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108855969.006
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  • The State
  • Janet I. Lewis, George Washington University, Washington DC
  • Book: How Insurgency Begins
  • Online publication: 18 September 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108855969.006
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The State
  • Janet I. Lewis, George Washington University, Washington DC
  • Book: How Insurgency Begins
  • Online publication: 18 September 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108855969.006
Available formats
×