In the shadow of violence: the Madagascan nexus

Abstract

ABSTRACT Countries posting steady long-run economic decline have generally suffered repeated cycles of poor governance and violence. Since independence, however, Madagascar has never been permanently paralyzed by domestic or even less by external armed conflicts. The island has often been presented by many observers as a ‘peaceful’ country. This article questions the reality of this non-violent Malagasy society, drawing on statistical data and going back in time to lay the groundwork for a history of political violence. It proposes interpretations of the low use of physical violence in the public space, by the state, social groups and individuals and the growing sense of insecurity, far greater than the rise in interpersonal violence. This situation stems from the structure of Malagasy society itself. Weak organization, among both fragmented elites and a geographically atomized and socially dominated population, is not conducive to the emergence of political violence. The preponderance of symbolic violence keeps the established order in place and hampers the emergence of movements likely to challenge the societal balance.