Global Forces, Rural Radicalism, and the Dual Transformation of Urban and Rural Protest in Africa

Studies of protest in contemporary Africa often fail to address three related dynamics. First, rural radicalism has long been more central to African political struggles, even urban ones, than is commonly recognized. Second, the ongoing transformation of rural political economies links them to those of urban areas and has changed struggles over land and resources. Finally, these changes have reduced the power of traditional authorities and increased the appeal of nonviolent protest, as well as shifting protest toward a more national mode in which rural populations are increasingly central. Mampilly elaborates on these propositions, which are derived from brief examinations of both historical and contemporary examples of rural protest across Africa, before applying them to a deep analysis of LUCHA, a social movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Os estudos sobre os movimentos de protesto na africa contemporanea sao frequentemente omissos no que toca a tres dinamicas inter-relacionadas. Em primeiro lugar, o radicalismo rural e, desde ha longo tempo, mais importante para as lutas politicas africanas, mesmo para as urbanas, do que tem sido habitualmente reconhecido. Em segundo lugar, a transformacao em curso das economias politicas rurais colca-as em ligacao com as dos espacos urbanos, e deu um novo rumo as lutas em torno da terra e dos recursos. Por fim, estas mudancas diminuiram o poder das autoridades tradicionais e aumentaram a adesao as formas nao violentas de protesto, alem de terem conduzido os protestos para formas eminentemente nacionais, em que as populacoes rurais assumem um papel cada vez mais importante. Mampilly desenvolve o presente artigo com base nestes pressupostos, os quais resultam de breves analises de casos historicos e contemporaneos de protestos rurais em toda a africa. Em seguida, aplica-os a uma analise mais profunda do LUCHA, um movimento social na Republica Democratica do Congo.

Automated summary

Studies of protest in contemporary Africa often overlook three related dynamics: the significance of rural radicalism in African political struggles, the transformation of rural political economies and its connection to urban areas, and the shift towards nonviolent and more national modes of protest.