GovInn Research Fellow Dr. Leon Mwamba Tshimpaka presented a paper titled: “Solidarite´ en mouvement” against homeland authoritarianism: Political transnationalism of Europe-based African migrants” at the International Conference on EU-Africa Migration Conundrum in the Global Changing Order held at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu from 21-23 November 2019.

For further details on the indicated paper please read below abstract: “

“Solidarite´ en mouvement” against homeland authoritarianism: Political transnationalism of Europe-based African migrants

This study focuses on intercontinental citizenship networks exercised by Europe-based African migrants in solidarity against their homeland authoritarianism. Most studies on migrants’ political transnationalism do not emphasize how African migrants entered into solidarity during their mobility and how they create social networks, from their receiving site, to demand for homeland democratic change. Building on notion of social networks and political transnationalism of migrants, this study draws lessons and experiences from 1990 to 2018, the period marking the democratic transition and at the same time democratic deficit in the African continent. It reviews the quality of democracy in part of Central African countries such, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Congo-Brazzaville, and Burundi in order to demonstrate why solidarity among these indicated African migrants was of importance to trigger intercontinental citizenship networks in Europe. Against this backdrop, the paper argues that apart from their individual exercised transnational political activities, Europe-based African migrants strengthen their citizenship by entering into solidarity to fight against homeland authoritarian ruling regimes that unite them abroad. It has been found that these Europe-based African migrants collaborate while exiting their countries of origin and, once in Europe, they strategize within horizontal networks during their political activities such as public protests and demonstrations, mutakalisation of homeland government elites, the prohibition of homeland artists to perform in Europe. Thus, “solidarite´ en movement” has triggered the Europe-based African migrant intercontinental citizenship networks.