Frontline state security: Rebel movements and cover states in Southern Africa, 1970–1990

Exile is a key dimension of armed groups, which often depend on the safety of third-party countries to establish headquarters, train soldiers, and forge connections with the outside world. A fitting illustration are the Frontline States in Africa, which offered refuge to multiple national liberation movements in the second half of the twentieth century. While it is generally acknowledged that exile offers ample opportunities for armed groups to develop their organisations, the ability of host nations to influence the internal politics of exiled armed groups remains understudied. This paper offers a comparative analysis of the interventions of the Frontline States in the mutinies of three African national liberation movements. The authors argue that intervention in the internal affairs of anticolonial organisations was a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it contributed to the successful conclusion of the struggle for liberation, but on the other hand, it stimulated the development of authoritarian political culture. This remains important today, as ZANU, SWAPO, and the ANC currently are in power as governments in Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa.

Read the full article (open access)

This article was published in Small Wars & Insurgencies by Taylor & Francis online.