Beyond “Religious Conflict”: International Legitimacy of Secessionist Movements in Africa

The ultimate goal of the secession movements is to gain recognition in accordance with international law, thereby strengthening its legitimacy on the international stage. The intensity of the conflict influences the likelihood of the movement being addressed within the framework of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) discourses, thereby shaping its international legitimacy. This article examines how the international legitimacy of secession movements is shaped by conflict profiles, religious significance and the CVE framework. Moving beyond the tendency to treat long-standing separatist conflicts as inherently religious, religion can enter separatist conflicts in various ways, such as being an indicator of collective differentiation, a language of mobilization, a source of symbolic legitimacy or an external framework of interpretation. In this study, international legitimacy is conceptualized as existing beyond formal recognition and is assessed using four indicators: discursive, diplomatic, institutional and support-based legitimacy. Five African case studies (Western Sahara, Cabinda, Biafra, Azawad and Ogaden) are detailed within the context of these indicators, having been selected for sharing similar values regarding conflict based on variables derived from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). Ultimately, in the cases of Western Sahara and Azawad, associating religion with extremism undermines the legitimacy of separatist claims and restricts access to international policy and military support.