Aurélie Campana

A Political Sociology Approach to the Diffusion of Conflict from Chechnya to Dagestan and Ingushetia

This article seeks to foster a better understanding of the diffusion of conflict in the North Caucasus. We argue that diffusion of conflict is a dynamic and adaptive process in which outcomes are shaped by the intersection of three social mechanisms—attribution of similarity, brokerage, and outbidding—and the political, social, and religious contexts. We suggest that a distinction should be made between horizontal and vertical processes of diffusion. We also approach the empirical diffusion of conflict from a different perspective, showing that non-Chechen actors have played a key role in both the diffusion process and its outcomes.

The Effects of War on the Chechen National Identity Construction

Since the end of the first war in 1996, the definition of the Chechen national identity has been at stake in a top-level competition. I argue that four main trends – the separatists, the radical Islamists, the traditionalists and the pro-Russians – are in competition. Each of them produces its own narrative, based on a specific rendering of history. Using a constructivist approach, I address the influence of an all-out war context on social interactions, self-perception and categorisation by the others. I then examine the narratives in competition. I finally show how history and traditions have become political weapons in the struggle for power and legitimacy by opposing self-proclaimed elites promoted by wars.

The Structural “Root” Causes of Non-Suicide Terrorism: A Systematic Scoping Review

This article proposes a systematic scoping review of the structural “root” causes of non-suicide terrorism. It aims to synthesize the knowledge produced on this very specific issue from 2000 and 2009 and to raise questions about unanswered issues and those that deserve more in-depth investigation. After presenting our methodology, we offer an overview of this subfield of research. We then discuss our main results and explain why no substantive argument on the structural “root” causes of terrorism emerges. We argue that the main gaps lie in the high fragmentation of this subfield, definitional problems, a somehow flexible operationalization of concepts, and a high dependence on sources of questionable reliability.

Russia's Counterterrorism Operation in Chechnya: Institutional Competition and Issue Frames

This article analyzes how Russian Federal policies evolved between 1999 and 2005 to justify the policy of “Chechenization” and the legitimization of an autocratic-style regime in Chechnya. It argues that this strategy was progressively elaborated during the conflict as a result of institutional competition between three main Federal agencies (the Presidential Administration, the secret services (FSB)), and the military over the framing of the conflict. This process paved the way for the formation of the “totalizing frame” under the leadership of the Kremlin, which incorporated various discursive constructions into one coherent and exclusive interpretation of the conflict.

Rethinking Terrorist Safe Havens: Beyond a State-Centric Approach

Over the last decade, the term safe haven has stirred controversy both in the political arena as well as in the academic literature. Several authors have emphasised the imprecise and commonly ill-conceived use of this terminology. This article intends to provide a fresh analytical framework to better understand the notion of terrorist safe haven. Rejecting the orthodox state-centric approach that envisions terrorist safe havens solely in their static and territorial dimensions, we focus rather on the social dynamics that characterise these spaces. We contend that although they might appear socially fragmented, these geographical areas are ruled by alternative modes of governance that impose a form of social order regulating interactions among actors. We use the concept of ‘social space’ to capture the framework in which social interactions between local actors are taking place. While we recognise that the social order that governs a given social space imposes constraints for actors, we contend that it can be subjected to internal contestation, opening a series of opportunities for transnational terrorist networks. We then try to highlight how terrorist groups might take advantage of these internal dynamics and create new ones to ensnare some local actors into forming alliances with them. This article addresses several case studies to further illustrate the theoretical discussion. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the importance of interpersonal relationships between local and transnational actors. While this article proposes a preliminary analysis of the question, it opens up new research avenues in conceptualising why and how some regions have come to attract transnational terrorist groups.

Voices of the “Caucasus Emirate”: Mapping and Analyzing North Caucasus Insurgency Websites

This article looks at Internet use by insurgent groups in the North Caucasus in the context of a regional diffusion of violence. Using a mixed methods research design that combines hyperlink network analysis and micro-discourse analysis, it examines the online characteristics of the Caucasus Emirate and the main frames conveyed by the websites affiliated with the Emirate. It demonstrates the existence of a network of cross-referencing websites that, collectively, articulate the Emirates political agenda online and allow for the dissemination of frames across the Web. It also shows that while jihadism provides a cultural resource that fosters a global sense of community, the jihadization of discourse does not eradicate local references as the local dynamics of the conflict have a strong impact on online communicative strategies. Finally, although based on a specific case study, this article highlights the potential of a mixed methods research design as applied to an analysis of virtual insurgent networks.

Beyond norms: the incomplete de-securitisation of the Russian counterterrorism frame

This article analyses the tentative de-securitising move of the Russian counterterrorism frame under Medvedev’s presidency. It suggests that de-securitisation involves a normalisation process that articulates three main points: terrorism as a result of internal troubles, counterterrorism seen as a “positive process” and Islam not being stigmatised. It nevertheless shows that this process remains far from complete, given the embedding of framing into cultural and normative contexts that make security, integrity and sovereignty leading norms. On the contrary, the ambiguities that shape framing entail a (re-)securitisation of social and societal issues that were not previously directly related to the root causes of terrorism.

Islamism and social movements in North Africa, the Sahel and Beyond: transregional and local perspectives

Islamism has emerged as a major political force in the Middle East and North Africa after the Arab uprising. The rise of Islamism came as no surprise to scholars of the region and it emerged even i...

Collective Memory and Violence: The Use of Myths in the Chechen Separatist Ideology, 1991–1994

This paper deals with the political uses of freedom myths in the Chechen separatist ideology between 1991 and 1994. By adopting a constructionist perspective, it shows that these myths could have a pervasive role in a period of deep political crisis. It explores the way myths have been evolving over times. It particularly points out the role of collective memories of past tragic events in reshaping myths and their political significance. From that point onwards it analyses how myths have been included into political rhetoric. Chechen separatist leaders make a linear reading of Russo-Chechen relationships and put forward independence as a necessity. In so doing, the new self-proclaimed independent state represents, beyond political and economic arguments, a ‘guaranty for safety’. While the embryonic Chechen state was failing, separatist leaders borrowed from mythology to legitimize the Chechen state and raise the struggle for an independent state to the status of a right and just struggle. This paper demonstrates the strength that the narratives conveyed by myths could have in terms of constructing a common sense to past and present in a period of changes.

Alliances of convenience: assessing the dynamics of the Malian insurgency

Abstract This article analyses the precarious alliances concluded between insurgent groups in the context of the conflict in Northern Mali that began in 2012. Building on the literature on civil wars and social movements, it develops a mechanism-based approach that intends to shed light on the processes of alliance formation and disintegration that are taking place at the meso- and micro-levels of analysis. It shows that the solidity and durability of alliances in a civil war context strongly depend on the interplay of three intra-organizational and inter-organizational mechanisms (brokerage, competition and shifting alliance), which contribute to the shaping of complex local power games. While ideological compatibility facilitates alignment and organizational collaboration, alliances are first and foremost cemented or fissured through the changing short- and mid-term personal interests of a variety of actors, who try to adapt to a volatile context.