1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910963602003321

Autore

Baker Bruce (Bruce Frederick)

Titolo

Taking the law into their own hands : lawless law enforcers in Africa / / Bruce Baker

Pubbl/distr/stampa

London ; ; New York : , : Routledge, , 2016

ISBN

1-138-27780-0

1-315-24188-9

1-351-89638-5

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (245 pages) : illustrations

Collana

Making of Modern Africa

Disciplina

364.1320967

Soggetti

Vigilance committees - Africa

Death squads - Africa

Crime prevention - Africa - Citizen participation

Government, Resistance to - Africa - Prevention

Law enforcement - Africa

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

First published 2002 by Ashgate Publishing.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

pt. I. Lawlessness and democracy in Africa -- pt. II. The army takes the law into its own hands -- pt. III. The police and state militia take the law into their own hands -- pt. IV. People take the law into their own hands -- pt. V. The implications for democracy.

Sommario/riassunto

Over much of Africa, crime and insurgency are a serious problem and one in which the distinction between the two is being eroded.A Left without state protection people have sought to preserve their lives and property through vigilante groups and militias that pay scant attention to the law or human rights.A Likewise, the state security forces, under pressure to cut crime and rebel activity, readily discard lawful procedures.A Torture provides them with vital information, whilst extra-judicial executions save the need to go through the prolonged criminal justice system. After a general overview of the role of the rule of law in a democratic society, Bruce Baker provides five case studies that capture the current complex realities and their impact on the new democracies.A The citizen responses considered are vigilantes in East African pastoral economies, The Bakassi Boys an anti-crime group in



Nigeria and private policing initiatives in South Africa.A The state responses are those of the Ugandan Defence Forces towards the Lords Resistance Army, the Senegalese army towards the Casamance secessionists and the Mozambique Police response towards criminals."