This fact sheet provides a snapshot of conclusions from the mapping effort of the RESOLVE Network’s Community-Based Armed Groups Research Initiative that investigates the dynamics of community-based armed groups (CBAGs) to identify potential approaches to engage, manage, and transform them. This Research Report explores the origins, dynamics, and drivers of CBAGs in Africa and clarifies the multiplicity and complex relationships between these groups and the state, as well as their prominent roles and responsibilities in security provision and service delivery. Discussions with stakeholders and a critical review of the literature revealed the need for research to go beyond the narrative of CBAGs as national security threats and consider their roles as contributors to state-building and peace-building. To learn more about the research methodology, detailed findings, and illustrative case studies, please refer to the RESOLVE Research Report by Daniel E. Agbiboa: Origins of Hybrid Governance and Armed Community Mobilization in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Suggested citation:

RESOLVE Network. Community-based Armed Groups Research Series Fact Sheet: Origins of Hybrid Governance and Armed Community Mobilization in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington, D.C.: RESOLVE Network, 2020. https://doi.org/10.37805/fs2020.2.cbags.

Also available in French.