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Violent Spirits and a Messy Peace: Against Romanticizing Local Understandings and Practices of Peace in Mozambique

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Ethnographic Peace Research

Part of the book series: Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies ((RCS))

Abstract

In the wake of massive atrocities, religious or cosmological expressions and practices may provide a tremendous resource for healing or transitional justice for both the individual and the collective. Yet all too often, such practices and ideas end up being portrayed in reified, romanticized and one-dimensional ways. This chapter presents the much-celebrated purification rituals of ex-combatants in postwar Mozambique as a phenomenon that has been subject to such “romanticizing.” It provides a thick description of intersections of violence and healing and the spiritual world and thereby presents three elements deemed essential for ethnographic peace research: (1) a multiplicity of interpretations; (2) a caution not to assume that local peace initiatives are inherently inclusive and harmonious; and (3) a long-term or multi-temporal focus.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Interview with Francisco Assix, staff member Justapaz, 20/08/07, Matola.

  2. 2.

    It is worth noting that this data was gathered before 2012, when Renamo’s leader and an unknown number of combatants “returned to the bush” and central Mozambique became again the stage attacks on highways and violent clashes between Renamo and the special forces of the police.

  3. 3.

    Adão often expressed a deep suspicion of “tradition” and especially “curandeirismo” (visiting healer-diviners), yet at the same time he would take his sister to a nyanga to resolve her infertility problems. Such seemingly contradictory actions and statements are well documented in relation to religion and health in Mozambique (e.g. Pfeiffer 2002) (Interview with Adão, 17/06/09, Maringue ).

  4. 4.

    Interview with Ronaldo, 04/08/09, Maringue.

  5. 5.

    Interview with Rebecca, 03/08/09, Maringue.

  6. 6.

    Rebecca’s trajectory of becoming ill, consulting a nyanga, and finally placating the spirit closely resembles Igreja’s (2007; see also Igreja et al. 2008) descriptions of magamba in neighboring Gorongosa district.

  7. 7.

    Conversations with Fazbem, Maringue, 23/05/08; 11/11/08.

  8. 8.

    Conversation with Januario and Pedro, Maringue, 02/05/08.

  9. 9.

    Conversation with nyanga Fernando, Maringue, 15/06/09.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Nikkie Wiegink

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  1. Nikkie Wiegink
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

    Gearoid Millar

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Wiegink, N. (2018). Violent Spirits and a Messy Peace: Against Romanticizing Local Understandings and Practices of Peace in Mozambique. In: Millar, G. (eds) Ethnographic Peace Research. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65563-5_7

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