Transformation of African State from Inside/Outside Perspective

Abstract

What happens in and to the contemporary African state? What is the meaning of the transformation? In other words, under what condition a state is a state?By referring to the literature of international relations, I distinguish "the state" and "non-state" from "the government" and "non-government" for analytical purpose. Related to the argument of "failed" and "collapsed"states, I also focus on the difference between dimensions of "fail" in the sense of oppressing people in the territory and that of "collapse" in the sense of defunctioning of the central government. Based on this analytical set which is derived from the idea that the state should be viewed both from within and without, I analyze transformation of the African state, especially referring the case of Somalia and Somaliland as typical examples of "collapsed state" and "de facto state. " Eventually, both cases are explained both realities as well as internationally (or socially)constructed entities, and the rule which is supposed to create such entities has been also transformed, although the latter is still to be further studied.