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The benefits of exile: the case of FLAM

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2002

Lance Kinne
Lance Kinne
Affiliation:
Currently Legislative Advisor, the National Democratic Institute, Niamey, Niger. The author would like to thank Professor I. William Zartman and Professor Gilbert Khadiagala for their encouragement and constructive criticism.
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Abstract

When contemplating a return to their country of origin, exiled political opposition groups in Africa must consider the viability of their political reintegration. These considerations, in turn, must be carefully balanced against the benefits derived from life in exile. Using the exiled Mauritanian political opposition group Les Forces de Libération Africaine de Mauritanie (FLAM) as a case study, this essay attempts to identify the benefits of exile, which, in the case of FLAM, outweigh the uncertain benefits of domestic political reintegration. FLAM's presence abroad has facilitated the organisation's membership recruitment and retention and temporarily provided a base for military incursions. More importantly, FLAM's exile status has enhanced its international standing, liberated it from domestic constraints and provided it greater access to Western media and policy-makers.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , December 2001 , pp. 597 - 621
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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