On combatants

: towards a Clausewitzian typology of combatants in conflicts in Africa

Abstract

For types of combatants in conflicts in Africa what would be considered a militia in one conflict, would be seen as a rebel in another, or classified as a terrorist in a third. There is an overwhelming lack of consistency in the typology of combatants that is dominated in the literature by a reductionist, binary, and often pathologising discourse. As a means to provide a conceptually stable and analytically sound typology, this thesis proffers a new theory of types based on the work of Carl von Clausewitz. Using Clausewitz's Trinity — passion, chance, and reason — the thesis develops a set of relationships with the state and society for three ideal-types of supposedly pro-government actors: the Professional, Praetorian, and Militia Soldiers. This is a first step towards a more complete Clausewitzian typology of combatants in contemporary conflicts.

This original contribution to Clausewitzian scholarship argues that the Trinity can be interpreted in terms of the political concepts of power, authority, and legitimacy. Through historical processes and dynamics, each ideal type of combatant is seen to embody unique relationships that are manifested through these political concepts. Each ideal type is developed through a close reading of foundational theoretical texts, reviews of contemporary studies, and an historical analysis of the unique characteristics. The analytical utility and conceptual stability of these ideal-types is demonstrated by an application to the heuristic example of the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991-2002), examining two state-orientated actors: the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Force and the Kamajors. Unlike a reductionist binary perspective, this Clausewitzian typology accounts for the dynamic, complex and evolving relationships of these actors with the state and society. A Clausewitzian typology of combatants in conflicts in Africa can provide avenues for more in-depth analysis of such conflicts, and holds implications for Security Sector Reform projects and other peace-building programmes.

Date of Award	20 Jun 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Ian Christopher Taylor (Supervisor) & Hew Strachan (Supervisor)