What can an analysis of 'space' in post-conflict situations tell us about existing theoretical approaches to statebuilding and peacebuilding? This article argues that post-conflict spaces have to be understood as fields of power where sovereignty is constantly contested and negotiated among global, elite and local actors. Understanding these spaces means breaking out of the dominant liberal peace model and 'single sovereign' framework. It requires recognition of the resilience of local space and importance of elite-subordinate dynamics of patronage and informal structures of authority. This makes it possible to discern some of the logics that govern how power and space shape each other in post-conflict settings.