Exploring the conflict-readiness of parties: The dynamics of proclivity towards violence and/or conflict in Madagascar

Abstract

Since the beginnings of the anti-colonial struggle, Madagascar, a former French colony and an island in the Indian Ocean, has gone through nine episodes of conflict, ranging from political tension to high intensity conflicts. These changes of conflict intensity demonstrate that the proclivity towards conflict may take different forms in various episodes of violence and conflicts in the country. This phenomenon may be explored by examining the causal configurations and the co-existence of positive and negative processes and mechanisms which are interacting and co-constructing each other. In order to untangle the intricacy behind the conflict-readiness of parties preparing for conflict at low, medium or high levels of violence, use is made of concepts and theories pertaining to peace, conflict, negotiation and mediation, conflict escalation and deescalation to explore the roles played by the following factors:

a) local narratives and metanarratives
b) repertoires of action of the actors
c) the actors’ framing of the conflicts
d) the actors’ polarising of public opinion
e) construction of the image of the self and the other
f) conflict dimensions (socio-economic, cultural, political and global external)
g) accommodation policies
This article argues firstly that proclivities toward violence/conflict in Madagascar are related to the coexistence of positive and negative elements, and secondly, that such proclivities are built partly upon the fact that liberal strategies for maintaining peace give rise to negative as well as positive effects on the dynamics of keeping that peace.