They adapt to new political regimes and offer “alternative forms of governance.” In other words, warlords maintain authority despite massive state-building efforts. Not only do they remain influential in the political system, but they also hold power that goes far beyond simple military might and endures long past the moment they have ceased to command a credible force. Warlords persist thanks to their ability to cross political orders and harness different sources of power, often in ways that escape state domination. As such, warlords remain, first and foremost, “autonomous and powerful individuals,” not members of armed organizations bound by institutionalized forms of collective decision making. They exert and transform authority across different spheres (ideological, economic, military, social, and political) and at different levels of political affairs (local, national, and international). Here, warlords are defined as astute political entrepreneurs with a proven ability to organize violence and control territory. This introductory chapter explains how warlords survive, during and after war.
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