Description
Since 2013, the locality of Kidal, Northern Mali, and its regional surroundings have enjoyed relative peace and have been the locus of an emerging governance system gradually developed by former separatist movements entertaining active relationships with local elites. This article explores the conditions of possibility and the making of this governance system in the context of disputed statehood. Theoretically, it will draw on the forms of emerging governance in a limited statehood setting relying on a meso-level analysis of elite legitimation processes. Between 2013 and 2023, the elites from Kidal consolidated their power through various legitimation strategies taking advantage of the UN-enforced peace process, and using local governance mechanisms, participation in state institutions, or political connections with international actors. Meanwhile, events such as the defeat of the Malian army trying a comeback to Kidal in 2014, more or less formal local peace accords, and strategic regional alliances provided the local elites with more leverage to bargain political settlements with the central authorities. In this article, we intend to provide a systematic analysis of the mechanisms through which Kidal has developed into a de facto state able to address various political and security challenges over ten years. Our empirical contribution will rely on qualitative data gathered through privileged connections with members of the local elites as well as documents and discourses produced by these elites in the last ten years.
