United We Command: Examining the Link between Rebel Governance and Cohesion

The literature on rebel governance has made large advancements in explaining variation in rebel governance practices, but has paid much less attention to its effect on other civil war phenomena. This paper investigates the link between rebel governance and cohesion, hypothesizing that these two phenomena mutually influence one another. While some authors have already suggested that cohesive rebel groups are more likely to develop (elaborate) governance structures—unaffected by infighting, cohesive groups can dedicate more time and resources to service provision—the argument that rebel governance can also encourage cohesion is new. I explore two potential mechanisms for this link. First, the provision of services by a rebel group is likely to generate a degree of popular support and legitimacy that makes the emergence of challengers less likely. Second, the creation of structures of popular participation, if built on principles of inclusion and equality, is likely to allow the rebel group to overcome pre-existing societal divisions. I will test these potential explanations for cohesion in a case study of the Polisario Front in Western Sahara. After its creation in 1973, the Polisario Front was quickly recognized as the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people—a status it has maintained ever since, despite the lack of progress in bringing the occupation of its territory to an end. I argue that Polisario’s governance practices have played a key role in its ability to maintain cohesion.