Geography of Conflict:Territory and Territoriality in the

Study of Conflict

Arthur “Gill” Green

Department of Geography, McGill University

Presentation 11 October 2006 for

Research Group in International Security, Université de Montréal

Overview

1. Territory

2. Territoriality

3. Conflict

4. Geography (T&T) and the Study of Conflict

5. Aceh and Sierra Leone

What is Territory? Bounded, meaningful space Borders (communicative devices) Scale Territories are socially constructed and

should be considered as process and not just physical characters.

1

What is Territoriality?

“The attempt by an individual or group (x) to influence, affect, or control objects, people, and relationships (v) by delimiting and asserting control over a geographic area. This area is the territory.” Sack (1983: 56)

2

Essential Characteristics

Classification by area not by kind

Communication through boundary

Control of access, authority within space

2

Effects of Territoriality

Create social entities (identity - state)

Create conceptually empty spaces

Reifies authority/ complex hierarchies

2

What is Conflict? When two or more parties, with perceived

incompatible goals, seek to undermine each other's goal-seeking capability.

Scale? State? Militarized Interstate Disputes (MID)…

3

Overview

1. Territory

2. Territoriality

3. Conflict

4. Geography (T&T) and the Study of Conflict

5. Aceh and Sierra Leone

Conflict and Geography (testing)

State-level Onset and Escalation Causal or intervening variable Opportunity and willingness Trigger events?

Authors: Hensel, Vasquez, Holsti, Walters…4

Conflict and Geography (critical) Applies to state and non-state actors Role of identity and territory Weber (nation creates state through territory –

monopoly of violence) Foucault (state creates the national identity

through governmentality) Ethnicity…

4

Ethnicity and Territory Ethnicity?

Hypothesis-testing Critical

Identity linked to territory: Irredentism, secession, independence

4

Reconstruction Processes

5

Sierra Leone

Electoral Redistricting

Aceh, Indonesia

Land Titling

Tsunami 2004 GAM (Free Aceh

Movement)

Aceh: Post-disaster, Post-conflict

GAM (Free Aceh Movement)

Aceh: No land titles Economic

Transaction costs still to high to manage (even when title is free) plus no local threat to land currently

No market State authority reified State Functions

Taxes enforced Loss of resource autonomy

Worries of retribution Still a desire for a free state in Aceh

Sierra Leone

*4.9 million*71,140 sq. km.*Temne 30%, Mende

30%, Krio 1%, 15 other

*60% Muslim, 30% Christian, 10% Animist

*Conflict: 1991-2003*Bifurcated Land Regimes

Sierra Leone’s Electoral Redistricting:

Conclusion Territory and Territoriality Ways in which these are used in the study

of conflict Reconstruction and shifting use of territory

between state and other scales (sub- and supranational)

Thanks!

arthur.green@mcgill.ca

Land Tenure, LP, and Conflict (Unruh 2004)

Emerging Conflict: identity and grievances, evidence (legal validity), status of land tenure apparatus= Access to resources, tenure, and legitimacy

During Conflict: dislocation, loss of state power (formal tenure), loss of food security, increase identity (substate self determination)= Informal networks and systems strengthen

Post Conflict: evidence and legitimacy, time, donor agencies, capacity, food security, binding rights and obligations, state power, land issues in peace accord, restitution= Possible conflict