B. Kistemaker’s research while affiliated with Utrecht University and other places

In debates on governance in weak or fragile states, non-state actors are often overlooked. A particularly under-recognized governance actor is the rebel group. Rebel groups have substantive involvement in several governance domains, and as such acquire authority and legitimacy among their constituents. While previous research shows that non-state governance cannot be seen as the sole result of state weakness or as opposition to the state necessarily, this chapter addresses the complexity, multiplicity and (practical) dynamics of rebel governance. International actors, such as states and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), struggle to decide on whether or how to engage with rebel groups. Studying the dynamics of rebel governance will shed new light on policy debates on insurgency, peacebuilding and development in contexts of state fragility in the African borderlands. The cases of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in South Sudan, the National Resistance Army (NRA) in Uganda and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in Somalia will serve as examples of rebel governance in the African context. © John Idriss Lahai, Tanya Lyons and the contributors 2015. All rights reserved.