A POSTCOLONIAL VIEW ON STATE-BUILDING IN MALI

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 50 - 72, 19.08.2024

Emre Akar

Abstract

In today's world of increasing global instability, "failed" states occupy the agenda of the international community more and more day by day. Sub-Saharan African countries are incapable of building effective political organisations and responding to security threats such as terrorism. However, such a perspective centred on the Westphalian and Weberian state is inadequate and stigmatising in understanding the reality of the Global South. Therefore, the study seeks to answer the question of whether the failure to establish the Westphalian-Weberian state in the South can be addressed through the discourse of state failure. In the study, Postcolonial theory is used, based on the works of Jonathan Hill and Anna Krämer. The study focuses on the experience of Mali from the colonial period to the present day, which is still struggling with the impacts of the 2012 Tuareg rebellion. The study concludes that Western concepts remain reductionist in understanding Mali. The concept of state failure also covers the responsibility of the Global North, particularly France, for Mali's structural problems. As a result, it would not be appropriate to discuss the failure to establish a Westphalian-Weberian state in Mali with the discourse of state failure.

Keywords

Failed states, state building, Postcolonialism, Africa, Mali

MALİ’DE DEVLET İNŞASINA POSTKOLONYAL BİR BAKIŞ

Abstract

Küresel istikrarsızlığın arttığı günümüzde “başarısız” devletler uluslararası toplumun gündemini günden güne daha fazla meşgul etmektedir. Özellikle Sahraaltı Afrika ülkelerinin etkili siyasal örgütlenme kurmada ve terörizm gibi güvenlik tehditlerine cevap üretmede yetersizlik gösterdikleri değerlendirilmektedir. Ancak Westfalyan ve Weberyan devleti merkeze alan böylesi bir perspektif Küresel Güney’in gerçekliklerini anlamada yetersiz ve damgalayıcıdır. Dolayısıyla çalışmada Güney’de Westfalyan-Weberyan devletin kurulamayışının devlet başarısızlığı söylemiyle ele alınıp alınamayacağı sorusuna cevap aranmaktadır. Çalışmada Jonathan Hill ve Anna Krämer’in eserlerinden hareketle Postkolonyal kuramın görüşlerinden yararlanılmaktadır. Çalışma 2012 Tuareg isyanının etkileriyle hâlâ boğuşan Mali’nin kolonyal dönemden günümüze uzanan deneyimine odaklanmaktadır. Çalışma neticesinde Batılı kavramların Mali’yi anlamada indirgemeci kaldığı anlaşılmıştır. Devlet başarısızlığı kavramı Mali’nin yapısal sorunlarında Fransa başta olmak üzere Küresel Kuzey’in sorumluluğunu da örtmektedir. Sonuç olarak Mali’de Westfalyan-Weberyan devletin kurulamayışını devlet başarısızlığı söylemiyle ele almak yerinde olmayacaktır.

Keywords

Başarısız devletler, devlet inşası, Postkolonyalizm, Afrika, Mali

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