From Rebellion to the Emergence of Quasi-states. Alternative Modes of Governance among Jihadi-Salafist Groups

Abstract

Especially during long-term violent conflict, state control may gradually deteriorate and be replaced by any effective alternatives of creating and maintaining order. In this process, insurgent and rebel groups may seize and maintain control over territory and populace and in some cases rebel governance gradually develops into quasi-states. In doing so, these groups not only rely on military strength to gain territorial control but also on notions of the state and concepts of governance, as well as established institutions and repertoires of practices. This panel invites different theoretical and empirical perspectives on the role of violence for establishing territorial and social control, on the dynamics and forms of rebel governance, and the institutions and quasi-states that emerge in this process with a focus on the current projects of land seizure being pursued by violent groups of the Jihadī-Salafist movement. Cases of comparison include the “Islamic State” (Syria and Iraq), Fattah Al-Sham (formerly Nusra-Front in Syria) and Al-Shabab (Somalia).