Molenaar, Fransje, Jonathan Tossell, Anna Schmauder, Rahmane Idrissa, and Rida Lyammouri. "The Status Quo Defied: The legitimacy of traditional authorities in areas of limited statehood in Mali, Niger and Libya”. CRU report. Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’ (2019).
This study compared traditional authorities in the border regions of Mali, Libya and Niger where the presence of the state is limited, contributing to the state of violent extremist activities in such regions. Traditional authorities are often the only authority structures present in regions threatened by (radical) armed groups, which have shown the ability to capitalize on local fault lines that are often linked to conflicts over access to natural resources. In the Niger example, this tension is compounded by the fact that national political elites have meddled in the creation and nomination of traditional authorities to further their own political agendas thereby undermining communities’ perception of Traditional authorities as neutral governance actors. They have been able to adapt to life under armed governance. For example, the study found out that in Mali, traditional authorities have allied themselves to armed groups either as a way to protect their position against new armed contenders or as a necessary step to ensure their own security and ability to govern. These alliances have weakened Traditional authorities’ ability to engage in conflict mediation.
