Dr. Pierre Englebert on "The Curse of African Sovereignty" at Haverford College

While African countries are plagued with a number of problems, sovereignty is not usually considered to be one of them. Yet, Pierre Englebert suggests that African sovereignty, largely predicated upon recognition alone rather than empirical existence, is rather different from state sovereignty elsewhere and has negative consequences for development, democracy and the exercise of state power. In this talk, Englebert will articulate the manner in which the international recognition of African states tends to translate into absolutist domestic power which undermines accountability and transforms governance into command. He will discuss possible policy recommendations including the provocative idea of derecognizing African states.

Pierre Englebert is professor of politics at Pomona College. His publications included Africa: Unity, Sovereignty, and Sorrow; State Legitimacy and Development in Africa; and Burkina Faso: Unsteady Statehood in West Africa.