Democratisation via elections in an African 'narco state'? The case of Guinea-Bissau

Dirk Kohnert

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Recent development cooperation with Guinea-Bissau, focussing on good governance, state-building and conflict prevention, did not contribute to democratization nor to the stabilization of volatile political, military and economic structures. Both the portrayal of Guinea-Bissau as failed ‘narco state' as well as Western aid meant to stabilize this state are based on doubtful concepts. Certainly, the impact of drug trafficking could endanger democratization and state-building if continued unchecked. However, the most pressing need is not state-building, facilitated by external aid, yet poorly rooted in the social and political fabric of the country, but nation-building by national reconciliation, as a pre-condition for the creation of viable state institutions.

Keywords: elections; democratization; informal institutions; aid; failed states; nation-building; institution building; drug trafficking; Guinea-Bissau; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 E26 H76 K14 N47 O17 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-12-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-cdm and nep-pol
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https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/23352/3/MPRA_paper_23352.pdf revised version (application/pdf)

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