Abstract

By 2019, a record high of 79.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations (UNHCR 2020a: 2). In the decade leading up to this only a fraction of this number were able to ‘return’ or find a ‘durable solution’. Multiple waves of displacement are common, and ‘return’ often involves far more complicated arrangements than the term suggests. Yet if ‘return’, as a one-directional durable solution is increasingly rare, the need to understand it in difficult and dynamic contexts of precarity and multi-directional mobility, is all the more urgent. This introductory essay reflects on what studies of return can tell us about the ‘life cycle’ of conflict and displacement dynamics in war-affected Central and East Africa, with particular focus on Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda. ‘Return’ and the ‘returnee’ category is broad and includes former combatants, especially those involved in non-state armed groups. We survey the historical and conceptual background of ‘return’ and its growing prominence in international policy before introducing four areas in which the articles in this special issue contribute to our understanding of internally displaced person, refugee and combatant return dynamics: conceptualizations of home and mobilities; everyday negotiation of belonging; the relationship between return and ‘cycles of violence’; and finally, the ways in which return shapes and re-shapes governance and public authority across settings.

中文翻译：

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回归政治：了解中非和东非的位移轨迹和“回归”的复杂动态

摘要

到2019年，由于迫害，冲突，暴力和侵犯人权行为，全球有7950万人被迫流离失所（UNHCR 2020a：2）。在此之前的十年中，这个数字中只有一小部分能够“返回”或找到“耐用的解决方案”。多次流离失所是常见的，“回返”通常涉及比该术语所建议的复杂得多的安排。然而，如果作为一种单向的持久解决方案的“返回”越来越少，那么在不稳定和多向机动性的困难而动态的环境中理解它的需求就变得更加迫切。这篇介绍性文章反映了有关回归的研究可以告诉我们有关受战争影响的中非和东非冲突和流离失所动态的“生命周期”，特别是刚果民主共和国，南苏丹和乌干达。“返回”和“返回”类别很广泛，包括前战斗人员，特别是参与非国家武装团体的战斗人员。我们先介绍“回返”的历史和概念背景及其在国际政策中日益突出的地位，然后介绍该特刊中的文章有助于我们了解国内流离失所者，难民和战斗人员回返动态的四个领域：家庭和流动的概念化; 日常的归属谈判；回归与“暴力循环”之间的关系；最后，回归的方式可以塑造和重塑跨环境的治理和公共权威。我们先介绍“回返”的历史和概念背景及其在国际政策中日益突出的地位，然后介绍该特刊中的文章有助于我们了解国内流离失所者，难民和战斗人员回返动态的四个领域：家庭和流动的概念化; 日常的归属谈判；回归与“暴力循环”之间的关系；最后，回归的方式可以塑造和重塑跨环境的治理和公共权威。我们先介绍“回返”的历史和概念背景及其在国际政策中日益突出的地位，然后介绍该特刊中的文章有助于我们了解国内流离失所者，难民和战斗人员回返动态的四个领域：家庭和流动的概念化; 日常的归属谈判；回归与“暴力循环”之间的关系；最后，回归的方式可以塑造和重塑跨环境的治理和公共权威。日常的归属谈判；回归与“暴力循环”之间的关系；最后，回归的方式可以塑造和重塑跨环境的治理和公共权威。日常的归属谈判；回归与“暴力循环”之间的关系；最后，回归的方式可以塑造和重塑跨环境的治理和公共权威。