Dealing with government in South Sudan by Cherry Leonardi, Leonardi, Cherry ISBN 9781847011145, 9781847010674, 1847010679, 1847011144 instant download

Dealing with government in South Sudan by Cherry Leonardi, Leonardi, Cherry ISBN 9781847011145, 9781847010674, 1847010679, 1847011144 instant download

\"South Sudan became Africa's newest nation in 2011, following decades of armed conflict. Chiefs--or 'traditional authorities'--became a particular focus of attention during the international relief effort and post-war reconstruction and state-building. But 'traditional' authority in South Sudan has been much misunderstood. Institutions of chiefship were created during the colonial period but originated out of a much longer process of dealing with predatory external forces. This book addresses a significant paradox in African studies more widely: if chiefs were the product of colonial states, why have they survived or revived in recent decades? By examining the long-term history of chiefship in the vicinity of three towns, the book also argues for a new approach to the history of towns in South Sudan. Towns have previously been analysed as the loci of alien state power, yet the book demonstrates that these government centres formed an expanding urban frontier, on which people actively sought knowledge and resources of the state. Chiefs mediated relations on and across this frontier, and in the process chiefship became central to constituting both the state and local communities.\"--Publisher's website Essential reading for scholars of Sudan, of Africa and of local governance, as well as policy-makers and practitioners, this study explores chiefly authority in South Sudan from its historical origins and evolution under colonial,postcolonial and military rule, to its current roles and value in the newly independent country. Explores various aspects of chiefly authority in South Sudan from its historical origins and evolution under colonial, postcolonial and military rule, to its current roles and value in the newly independent country.