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Sobel Rumors and Tribal Truths: Narrative and Politics in Sierra Leone, 1994

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2013

Catherine E. Bolten
Catherine E. Bolten*
Affiliation:
University of Notre Dame
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

This article examines a case study from war-torn Sierra Leone in 1994, in which a rumor galvanized violent public action and only dissipated when a seemingly unrelated issue was resolved. I argue that the circulation of rumors can foment the emergence of political narratives focused on topics that are otherwise taboo, and creates the space to act on them without overtly disturbing the status quo. I analyze the content of interview material with residents of the town of Makeni and eight months of articles printed in national newspapers to illustrate the subtle emergence of tribal accusations in the context of military mutiny. The rumor itself concerned an imminent attack by mutinous, criminal soldiers (called sobels) on the town they were meant to defend. This instigated a mass demonstration, shooting into a crowd, political mudslinging, and accusations that some politicians were trying to “tribalize the war.” Responding to the distress, the government removed the offending “tribalist” administrator from Makeni, and all talk of sobel fears dissipated, even as the reality of sobels was borne out in confirmed attacks and a high profile court-martialing. That tribal favoritism was the real issue was illustrated by residents' embrace of their new military administrator and the town's unprecedented move towards development in the midst of renewed security threats.

Type
Research Article
Information
Comparative Studies in Society and History , Volume 56 , Issue 1 , January 2014 , pp. 187 - 214
Copyright
Copyright © Society for the Comparative Study of Society and History 2013 

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