Manchester University Press - Armed non-state actors and the politics of recognition

Recognition is often considered a means to de-escalate conflicts and promote peaceful social interactions. This volume explores the forms that social recognition and its withholding may take in asymmetric armed conflicts, examining the risks and opportunities that arise when local, state, and transnational actors recognise, misrecognise, or deny recognition of armed non-state actors.

By studying key asymmetric conflicts through the prism of recognition, it offers an innovative perspective on the interactions between armed non-state actors and state actors. In what contexts does granting recognition to armed non-state actors foster conflict transformation? What happens when governments withhold recognition or label armed non-state actors in ways they perceive as misrecognition? The authors examine the ambivalence of recognition processes in violent conflicts and their sometimes-unintended consequences. The volume shows that, while non-recognition prevents conflict transformation, the recognition of armed non-state actors may produce counterproductive precedents and new modes of exclusion in intra-state and transnational politics.

Reviews

'This is a critically important book on the significance of recognition for non-state armed actors. The volume is based on a rich corpus of case studies problematizing recognition at various stages of conflict escalation. By investigating normative aspects as well as practices, it is a must-read for anyone interested in asymmetrical conflicts in the twenty-second century.'
Lisa Strömbom, Associate Professor of Political Science, Lund University

'We often think of insurgents or rebel armies as operating in places where there is no room for mutual recognition and other normative practices. But this is wrong. This book shines a spotlight on the complex role of recognition practices and their often positive consequences in some of the most intractable conflicts in the world.'
Volker M. Heins, Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

'This thought-provoking book explores the possibilities and pitfalls of recognizing armed non-state actors during conflicts, stalemates, and peace processes. Through insightful theoretical chapters and a wealth of case studies from around the world, it helpfully illuminates the complexities of seeking and granting recognition.'
Elizabeth King, Associate Professor of International Education, New York University

Part I: Recognition of armed non-state actors: Concepts, theory, history
1 Recognising armed non-state actors: Risks and opportunities for conflict transformation - Maéva Clément, Anna Geis, and Hanna Pfeifer
2 The historical mapping of armed groups' recognition - Stephan Hensell and Klaus Schlichte

Part II: Recognition during armed conflicts
3 Labelling conflict groups in Nigeria: A comparative study of Boko Haram, Niger Delta, IPOB, and Fulani Militia - Michael Nwankpa
4 'Al-Shabaab is part of us': Endogeneity and exogeneity in the struggle for recognition in Somalia - Harmonie Toros and Arrliya Sugal
5 Shifting recognition orders: The case of the Islamic State - Christoph Günther and Tom Kaden

Part III: Recognition in conflict stalemates
6 The PKK's zig-zag in its global quest for recognition - Mitja Sienknecht
7 Recognition, respect, and identity in the discourse of China's Uyghur problem - Chien-peng Chung
8 Recognition dynamics and Lebanese Hezbollah's role in regional conflicts - Hanna Pfeifer

Part IV: Recognition in mediation and peace processes
9 Ripe through recognition? The case of the Provisional Irish Republican Army - Carolin Görzig
10 Norms and recognition in mediation processes: Promoting inclusivity in the mediation of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in South Sudan - Jamie Pring
11 Mutual recognition in the context of contested statehood: Evidence from Tumaco, Colombia - Jan Boesten and Annette Idler

Part V: Practising recognition: Concluding outlook
12 From rebels to violent extremists: Evolving conflict trends and implications for the recognition of armed non-state groups - Véronique Dudouet
13 Recognition of armed non-state actors: What we have learned and what lies ahead - Harold Trinkunas

Index

Editors

Anna Geis, Helmut Schmidt University/University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg

Maéva Clément, University of Osnabrück

Hanna Pfeifer Goethe University Frankfurt and the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt