The Conundrum Between Internal Capacity and External Capability of States: Case Study of an East African Border Zone

Abstract

A problematic phenomenon exists in both International Relations (IR) scholarship and diplomatic practice regarding the dismal fulfillment of the mission of the classical nation state, especially in the non-Western world as expressed through the causal relationship between internal political instability and weak external projection in pursuit of national interest. Indeed, IR scholars have transcended previous tendency to focus exclusively on external behavior of nation states and now exhibit increased attention to the nexus between domestic politics and external relations and capabilities in order to obtain new and deeper insights into the behavior of nation states in the global arena. This study has joined such emerging perspectives in the study of nation states. This study was conducted in East African tri-national border zone adjoining Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. The main objective of the study was to discern and explain internal weakness of the state in projection of national security interests in the international arena from the standpoint of the development of its domestic features. The study relied on qualitative micro-level data generated through primary method to analyse domestic characteristics and external behaviour of the three states and nomadic communities in the zone that share border and similar socio-economic and political characteristics. While adopting classical realism as basis for understanding the behaviour of states in international politics especially in respect of security, the study sought to overcome the weakness of this theory by drawing insights from comparative politics in order to formulate an adequate conceptualization with capacity to support analysis and interpretation of the variables in the study area. The study arrived at interesting findings that at once contribute to the growing theoretical postulations about domestic political variables that affect the capability of the nation state to underwrite external security interests. The study shows that the three East African nation states are insufficiently developed from the standpoint of internal dimensions, namely establishment of effective administrative machinery of the state; transformation of loyalty of the local communities from pre-existing political structures to the authority of the central Government represented by local-level officials; exercise of control over local communities to secure their transformation from “population” to “citizens;” and monopoly of the use of instruments of coercion. Insufficient development of the nation state at the local level is a result of the abiding traditional, pre-nation state practices of government, loyalty of the local populations to traditional institutions, dominance of the pre-existing legal regime, and ultimately the pre-existing notions of security. These conditions have caused disconnect between internal authority of the nation state and the local communities still under the traditional structures of governance. The traditional notions of security and the variant intended in the modern nation state epoch are at conflict with each other and have produced internal insecurity expressed in the form of lawlessness and disorder. The incomplete development of the domestic features of the nation state and the attendant internal weakness of the state has contributed to delayed development of the external capabilities of the state. This incapacity is demonstrated by inability to contain cross-border security threats, notably cross border crime, especially cattle rustling; unregulated migration; and unregulated cross-border trade, including entry of illicit fire arms. These findings have led to the conclusion that the state of development of internal features of the state; that is, internal capacity matters in determination of the capability and credibility of the state as a primary actor in the international arena and its reliability to promote national interest, chiefly security.