Stratagems and Spoils - A Critical Analysis of Informal Trade on the Ghana/Togo Border

Abstract

There is a growing consensus – at least among African scholars – that the study of state in Africa should not only include formal institutions; it should also appreciate community-based networks as these are conscious creations by individuals seeking to enhance their political fortunes or social status in society. Equally, community-based networks, as this study has established,
are not infallible because “credibility and trust are perishable … Every day is a new day in interrelationships and in holding on to trust.”1 Social capital is dynamic and importantly, it can erode quite suddenly as seems to be happening in the Afl ao border. It is also true that most African nations have small internal markets, limited infrastructure and porous borders