Participatory Rebel Governance and Duration of Peace

• In Event: Explaining the Causes and Consequences of Rebel Governance

Abstract

Rebel groups often develop governance structures during civil wars by establishing administrative practices, engaging in taxation, and providing social services to the local population. Rebel governance structures, however, vary depending on the extent to which they include participatory arrangements. Some rebel groups allow civilian participation in their governance, whereas others have highly hierarchical structures limiting civilian participation. This paper examines the extent to which governance activities of rebel groups and participatory arrangements influence post-conflict peace. I argue that war-time rebel governance contributes to durable peace by facilitating rebel groups to learn how to mobilize civilians, which contributes to the successful transition of rebel groups to political parties and their participation in post-conflict politics. I expect this effect to be stronger after participatory rebel governance than non-participatory governance. I test the empirical validity of my expectations using a multi-method approach. First, I use original time-series cross-sectional data on various participatory governance activities of all rebel groups between 1946 and 2013. Next, I probe the plausibility of my causal mechanisms using two case studies: the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Indonesia and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the Philippines. I find strong confirmatory evidence for my expectations and plausibility of the causal mechanisms. By linking rebel war-time governance to peace after conflict, this paper identifies the effects of rebel governance beyond its impact on conflict dynamics and war termination. Moreover, analyzing different types of rebel governance helps us understand the complex aspects of governance and provides important insights for the peace process and state-building.

Author

• Hyunjung Park, University of Pittsburgh