The logic of secessionist movements

: weak states, fixed borders and the international system

Abstract

This thesis explores the relationship between the international system, weak states and the rise of secessionist movements, with particular reference to Somaliland. It argues that system-level changes have transformed the types of states that exist in the world with this being one of the reasons for the increase in secessionist movements post-1945. Using a combination of system-level analysis with unit-level interpretation, it is suggested that the prevalence of weak states, sustained by the international system, generate the conditions for secessionism. While the majority of current analyses attempt to explain secessionism through an examination of domestic circumstances, this thesis suggests that international changes, and more specifically the norm of territorial integrity, provide a fertile ground for the rise of secessionist movements. Thus, these entities witness not so much an absence of a sovereign, but a proliferation of sovereigns, which generates the conditions for the creation of secessionist movements. The thesis finds that in a world of fixed borders secession should not be considered as an aberration, but as a natural occurrence given the incentives and counterincentives provided by the current configuration of the international system. Furthermore, the thesis finds that acknowledging the inevitability of secession may allow for a reevaluation of its utility and role in state building within weak states.

Date of Award	8 Dec 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Ian Christopher Taylor (Supervisor) & Ali Watson (Supervisor)