Hunting Game: Raiding Politics in the Central African Republic

The Northeastern Central African Republic is a stateless space where armed actors operate freely, and Louisa Lombard's study investigates practices of forceful acquisition. Raiding has flourished in this region for over 150 years, from the trans-Saharan slave trade to colonial forced labor regimes, big game hunting, and coercive conservation. Hunting Game offers comparative insights into the role of forceful acquisition in the world today.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 09 June 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The Northeastern Central African Republic, a vast region spanning Chad, Darfur, and South Sudan, stands as a quintessential stateless space, characterized by the limited presence of government and the unfettered activities of armed actors. In this groundbreaking ethnographic and historical exploration of Central African raiding, Louisa Lombard delves into the practices of forceful acquisition, a distinctive political repertoire that intertwines claims to social status with the ability to seize resources from both wild spaces and others, often overturning these claims. For over 150 years, individuals in this stateless borderland have honed their raiding skills as a means of survival and livelihood. This study spans a diverse range of historical contexts, including the trans-Saharan slave trade, colonial forced labor regimes, big game hunting, coercive conservation efforts, and rebellions. Raiding has thrived in these environments where the lines between individuals' statuses are blurred, and institutional guidance is lacking. Hunting Game provides valuable comparative insights into the multifaceted and, at times, contentious role that forceful acquisition plays in the world today.

The Northeastern Central African Republic, a vast region spanning Chad, Darfur, and South Sudan, stands as a quintessential stateless space, characterized by the limited presence of government and the unfettered activities of armed actors. In this groundbreaking ethnographic and historical exploration of Central African raiding, Louisa Lombard delves into the practices of forceful acquisition, a distinctive political repertoire that intertwines claims to social status with the ability to seize resources from both wild spaces and others, often overturning these claims. For over 150 years, individuals in this stateless borderland have honed their raiding skills as a means of survival and livelihood. This study spans a diverse range of historical contexts, including the trans-Saharan slave trade, colonial forced labor regimes, big game hunting, coercive conservation efforts, and rebellions. Raiding has thrived in these environments where the lines between individuals' statuses are blurred, and institutional guidance is lacking. Hunting Game provides valuable comparative insights into the multifaceted and, at times, contentious role that forceful acquisition plays in the world today.

ISBN-13: 9781108746182