Stability Spectrum: The Battle for Stabilization in the Central African Republic"

Foreign military interventions to stabilize war-torn societies or failing states have been conducted throughout history. While the consequences of such operations for the host countries have been well-documented, little research has been conducted on the concept of stability as understood by the intervening state (or organization). France has launched four military interventions in the Central African Republic since it gained its independence in 1960 due to chronic instability. Despite these operations, the Central African Republic has not known a decade of stability and has suffered from multiple rebellions, military coups and violence. This apparent paradox raises the question of what stability means for France and what France has tried to implement in the country. This research paper analyses the dynamics of the French military interventions in the Central African Republic to understand how the concept of stability was constructed. It ultimately concludes that the concept of stability is a spectrum that fluctuates over time in accordance with the interests of the intervening state.