China's Developmental Peace and Western Liberal Peace: Implications for Sustainable Peace and Development in Mozambique
Author
Seraphim, Joanna Barbara
Term
4. term
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-06-07
Pages
50
Abstract
Mozambique har modtaget bistand fra både vestlige og kinesiske donorer og råder over betydelige naturressourcer, men varig fred og bred udvikling lader stadig vente på sig. Specialet undersøger hvorfor ved at sammenligne to idéer om fredsopbygning: liberal fred (med fokus på valg, markeder og statslige institutioner) og udviklingsfred (hvor økonomisk vækst og statslige projekter ses som vejen til fred). Det gennemgår landets konflikter—borgerkrigen mellem Frelimo og Renamo fra 1977 til 1992, fornyede spændinger 2013–2019 samt en islamistisk opstand i Cabo Delgado siden 2017—og analyserer centrale tiltag knyttet til disse tilgange. For den liberale fred ser specialet på ONUMOZ-initiativet, den efterfølgende demokratisering og udviklingsbistanden. For udviklingsfred, hvor teorien er mere begrænset, undersøges Kinas aktiviteter inden for infrastruktur, landbrug og tømmerindustrien. Med afsæt i James Scotts 'Seeing Like a State' og deltagende udvikling finder specialet, at begge tilgange var overvejende top-down og overså lokale kompleksiteter. Den liberale fred førte til en overfladisk demokratisering, hvor ét parti beholdt et stærkt greb om magten og risiko for korruption. Udviklingsfred gav ofte forrang til den mozambikiske regerings og kinesiske partneres interesser frem for befolkningens bredere udviklingsbehov. Begge tilgange bar præg af højmodernistisk ideologi—troen på store, ekspertstyrede planer—og inddrog ikke lokalsamfundene meningsfuldt, hvilket begrænsede resultaterne og til tider trak i modstridende retninger. Specialet peger derfor på behovet for større deltagelse på både græsrods- og myndighedsniveau. I forbindelse med kinesiske investeringer kan stærkere deltagelse give folk mere indflydelse på bl.a. retfærdig behandling af arbejdere, fordrivelse og vidensoverførsel. Under den liberale fred kan mere inkluderende beslutningsprocesser flytte fokus fra magt- og ressourcekoncentration hos eliter til befolkningens behov.
Mozambique has received aid from Western and Chinese donors and holds significant natural resources, yet lasting peace and broad development remain elusive. This thesis asks why by comparing two ideas about how peace is built: liberal peace (prioritizing elections, markets, and state institutions) and developmental peace (seeing economic growth and state-led projects as a path to peace). It reviews the country’s conflicts—civil war between Frelimo and Renamo from 1977 to 1992, renewed tensions from 2013 to 2019, and an Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado since 2017—and analyzes key initiatives linked to these approaches. For liberal peace, it examines the ONUMOZ initiative, subsequent democratization, and foreign aid. For developmental peace, where theory is thinner, it looks at China’s activities in infrastructure, agriculture, and the timber industry. Drawing on James Scott’s 'Seeing Like a State' and participatory development thinking, the thesis finds that both approaches were largely top-down and overlooked local complexities. Liberal peace produced a shallow form of democratization, with one party maintaining a strong hold on power and risks of corruption. Developmental peace tended to prioritize the interests of the Mozambican government and Chinese partners over the wider population and its development needs. Both approaches reflected elements of high modernist ideology—confidence in large, expert-driven plans—and did not meaningfully engage with local needs, limiting their success and sometimes pulling in contradictory directions. The thesis points to the need for greater participation at both grassroots and government levels. In the context of Chinese investments, stronger participation could give people more voice on fair treatment of workers, displacement, and knowledge transfer. Under liberal peace, more inclusive decision-making could shift priorities toward the needs of the general population rather than the concentration of power and resources among elites.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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