Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together Again: The Dilemmas of the African Post-Colonial State
32 Pages Posted: 26 Dec 2009
Date Written: 1995
Abstract
This article argues that the African post-colonial state is a normatively and inherently flawed institution that is prone to failure. It examines a number of collapsed states and concludes that new map-making and normative re-orientation of the internal polities may be the only way to salvage more states from failure and to put back together those that have already failed. It concludes that the reconstruction of the African state is a tall order that will require imagination and cooperation.
Keywords: Post-colonialism, humpty dumpty, state collapse, state reconstruction, imperial powers, civil society
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Mutua, Makau, Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together Again: The Dilemmas of the African Post-Colonial State (1995). Brooklyn Journal of International Law, Vol. 21, 1995, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1526729
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