Distributive Justice at War: Displacement and Its Afterlives in the Central African Republic

One of the defining features of the crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 2013 has been massive displacement. Currently, about a quarter of the country's population is displaced. People who have been forcibly displaced, whether internally or abroad, and people who stayed behind this time (but frequently have their own memories of displacement) provide particular kinds of information about war and its not particularly peaceful aftermath. In this article, based on interviews with a broad range of people affected by displacement, we show that Central African views about the prospects for peace are deeply affected by how displacement has shaped tensions over the political senses of distribution (who has a right to what, and on what basis). Who should pay for war, in senses both material and otherwise, and who should be compensated? However, distribution and belonging are not the issues prioritized in the aftermath of war, when elite deals, punitive justice and technocratic recovery plans crowd out treatment of the material justice and belonging questions that dominate neighbourhoods. The political dimensions of material justice in the aftermath of war require more thorough treatment, as listening to people who have experienced displacement makes abundantly clear.

Automated summary

This article highlights how Central African views on peace prospects are deeply influenced by displacement and distribution tensions, as well as the neglect of material justice and belonging issues in the aftermath of war, focusing instead on elite deals, punitive justice, and technocratic recovery plans. Listening to individuals who have experienced displacement is crucial for understanding the political dimensions of material justice post-conflict.