The Political Economy of Emergency: Postcolonialism, Crisis Governance and Decolonial Alternatives
Journal Article: The Political Economy of Emergency: Postcolonialism, Crisis Governance and Decolonial Alternatives
Journal: Journal of Law and Society, which can be found here.
Date of Publication: February 18, 2026
Author: Hope Johnson. Postgraduate researcher in the School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University.
How to Cite: Johnson, H. The Political Economy of Emergency: Postcolonialism, Crisis Governance and Decolonial Alternatives. Journal of Law and Society. 2026;1-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/jols.70043
Abstract: The political rhetoric surrounding the Horn of Africa is perpetually framed through narratives of crisis, tragedy and emergency. These labels, rather than simply being used to describe instability, function as tools of governance to normalise dysfunction and entrench cycles of dependency. Drawing on postcolonial frameworks, the discourse interrogates how such crisis narratives obscure and ignore structural issues. Further, this sustains and promotes external authority, often rooted in colonial narratives of the region. The exploration of case studies, Somalia and South Sudan, highlighting how international interventions, often framed as peacebuilding or humanitarian efforts, reinforce the very ‘crisis’ it aims to address. The solution to decolonise this paradigm created by western interventionist economies lies in alternatives grounded in African epistemologies of governance that centre local sovereignty. In doing so, reimagining governance beyond ‘emergency’, towards sustainable political autonomy, rooted in localised political power, emerges as the primary, if not only, viable solution.
A text version of the article can be accessed here, and a PDF version can be accessed here.
Photo by Juanita Geldenhuys on Unsplash.
