Events
Political Elites in Contested Borderlands: Insights from Pakistan, Iraq and South Sudan
What explains the persistence of political order in contested borderlands that are marked by armed conflict, weak state institutions, and intense competition over resources? How do political, military and economic elites establish authority in these environments? And what are the implications for peacebuilding, development and international engagement?
From the mineral-rich frontier regions of Pakistan, to Iraq’s disputed territories, to the borderlands of Sudan and South Sudan, political authority often relies on complex relationships between formal institutions, armed actors, business networks, and local communities. New XCEPT research shows how elite actors shape access to resources, mediate conflict, influence patterns of governance, and maintain political and economic power in settings where territorial control and state authority remain contested.
As part of the XCEPT Contested Borderland Elite Trajectories (CBET) project, this webinar presents findings from three new studies. The first examines Pakistan’s western borderlands, namely North and South Waziristan, where a rapidly expanding minerals sector is creating new “frontier moments” that reshape authority and resource extraction. The second explores Iraq’s disputed territories in the Kurdistan Region, showing how competing elite projects and frontier dynamics complicate efforts to build stability and support economic development. The third focuses on the Sudan-South Sudan borderlands, revealing how military entrepreneurs and commercial elites rule through a combination of resource control, coercion, and limited forms of social provision.
Bringing together researchers from across the three case studies, the discussion will also consider what these findings mean for policymakers, donors, investors, and international organisations working in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
Speakers:
- Tobias Hagmann
- Faryal Khan
- Katja Mielke
- Zeynep Kaya
- Nicki Kindersley
- Joseph Diing Majok
Moderator:
Hannah Stogdon
Date: 30 September 2026
Time: 14:00-15:15 BST | 16:00-17:15 EAT
Location: online
Who should join: Researchers policymakers, donors, investors, and international organisations working in fragile and conflict-affected settings
Registration: Register here.