About the Book

The militarization of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), especially in Africa, is causing growing alarm within the humanitarian and development communities. The planned and spontaneous arming of refugees and IDPs threatens access to asylum as well as protection. But while the policy debates rage over how to deal with armed refugees and how to prevent their spill-over into neighbouring countries, surprisingly little research has been done to explain why displaced people arm themselves or how militarization affects the local and host populations. This book traces the experience of refugee and IDP militarization in four African countries emerging from or affected by war: Guinea, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. It considers the effects of such militarization on regional, national, and human security, and reflects on the responses of hosting governments and humanitarian organizations.

Commendations

"Africa‘s refugee and IDP camps are a cause of major concern to the international community. Millions of men, women, and children endure situations of protracted displacement in deplorable conditions. In the absence of more durable solutions, refugees and IDPs in many situations are exceptionally susceptible to militarization. No Refuge describes how the phenomenon of refugee militarization threatens to undermine asylum and protection. This edited volume is a timely and invaluable resource for governments, UNHCR protection officers, UN agencies, and NGOs. It is a must-read for all concerned with improving the safety and rights of refugees and IDPs on the ground." - Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees

"No Refuge provides a timely analysis by a group of Africa experts of the causes and consequences of refugee militarization in Africa. It should prove invaluable for practitioners, policy-makers, and academics in their quest to find practical and effective remedies for this growing humanitarian and security problem. I highly recommend it." - Professor Gil Loescher, Centre for International Studies, University of Oxford

‘Able and excellent treatment of a web of contemporary refugee militarization and security issues…a resourceful read for donors, practitioners, policy-makers and academics concerned with strengthening and ameliorating refugee protection’ - African Security Review

'No Refuge provides a valuable contribution to the growing literature on the dynamics of forced migration and small arms proliferation.' - Mark Naftalin, Journal of Peace Research

'No Refuge is a valuable contribution to the literature about refugee camp administration and politics in the context of Africa's wars...This book is a good reminder that, focused as they are on the mundane day-to-day tasks, workers organizing refugee communities on the ground sometimes forget that the context of regional political interests makes refugees particularly vulnerable to political manipulation by forces both within and outside refugee communities.' - Tony Waters, African Studies Review

Read Robert Muggah on Refuge militization in The Ottawa Citizen

Contents

Acknowledgements
Preface - Kamel Morjane, Assistant High Commissioner, UNHCR
Introduction - Robert Muggah and Edward Mogire
1. The Militarization and Demilitarization of Refugee Camps and Settlements in Guinea, 1999-2004 - James Milner and Astrid Christoffersen-Deb
2. Protection Failures: Outward and Inward Militarization of Refugee Settlements and IDP Camps in Uganda - Robert Muggah
3. Preventing or Abetting: Refugee Militarization in Tanzania - Edward Mogire
4. The Wheel Turns Again: Militarization and Rwanda‘s Congolese Refugees - Gregory Mthembu-Salter
5. From Bad to Better: Reflections on Refugee and IDP Militarization in Africa - Sue J. Nahm

About the Author

Robert Muggah is the Global Security and Cooperation Professional Fellow (SSRC), Refugee Studies Centre, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. He is also a senior researcher and project manager of the Small Arms Survey at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. Muggah is trained in International Relations and Political Economy (BA Combined Honours, Dalhousie University) and Development Studies (MPhil, Institute for Development Studies, Sussex University).