Conflict & Natural Resources Flashcards
who said “war makes states, states make war”?
Charles Tilly
what are the foundations for the claim “war makes states, states make war”?
boundary dimension:
- boundaries are empirically solidified
- lots of boundaries in Africa are theoretical so no incentive to fight empirical boundaries
taxation & financing:
- developing bureaucracy & establishing a tax base
technological dimension:
- innovation & development happens at a faster rate during war
define civil war.
an internal conflict with at least 1,000 combat-related deaths per year (Collier & Hoeffler, 1999)
to distinguish wars from massacres, both government forces and an identifiable rebel organisation must suffer at least 5% of these fatalities
what is the collective action problem associated with rebellions?
why do rebels fight when their individual contribution to rebellion is likely to be trivial and the risk of injury they face for participating is significant?
why do rebels choose to solve the collective action problem? / why does it not affect them?
political change will produce private benefits for the leaders and their followers
“looting rebellions do not face intrinsic collective action problems because the activity is privately profitable. By contrast, justice rebellions face…problems in collective action” (Collier & Hoeffler, 1999)
what is the time inconsistency problem associated with rebellions?
rebels undergo hardships immediately but the rewards of the new order are only in the future
what is the common dichotomy given about causes of rebellions?
greed (Collier & Hoeffler) vs grievance (Keen)
which scholars are most associated with the ‘greed’ argument?
Collier & Hoeffler, 1999, 2004
explain ‘greed’ (economic incentives / natural resources) as the cause of rebellion argument.
complexities of state-building in Africa are heavily tied to the dynamics of economic incentives and natural resources (Collier & Hoeffler, 2004)
these economic incentives manifest notably in conflicts in Africa, where strategic exploitation of resources becomes pivotal
Collier’s most important proxy for economic agenda in civil wars is the share of primary commodity production in GDP
- primary commodity exports significantly heighten conflict risks, particularly when they go beyond the threshold of approximately 33% of GDP - vulnerability of, and danger to, nations overly dependent on such resources (Collier & Hoeffler, 2004)
- “diamond exports from Sierra Leone probably account for the high incidence of conflict in that country” (Collier, 2000, p106)
what is the threshold of GDP that primary commodity exports must go beyond to heighten conflict risks?
primary commodity exports significantly heighten conflict risks, particularly when they go beyond the threshold of approximately 33% of GDP - vulnerability of, and danger to, nations overly dependent on such resources (Collier & Hoeffler, 2004)
give an example of natural resources playing a role in conflict.
Jonas Savimbi’s UNITA mining diamonds in Angola - critical to the ability of the group to sustain its challenge to the government as it allows the rebels to buy weapons, acquire friends and external support, and serves as a store for wealth (Herbst, 2000)
what is the resource curse?
resource Curse: where countries abundant in natural resources, particularly non-renewable resources like minerals and oil, often experience economic challenges, political instability, and social issues rather than reaping benefits from these resources
what arguments explain / support the idea of the resource curse?
supported by arguments of economic dependency - countries rich in natural resources become overly dependent on these resources, leading to:
(i) neglect or underdevelopment of other economic sectors
(ii) governance challenges: corruption, rent-seeking behaviour, and weak institutions often accompany resource wealth, as powerful interests seek control over resources
(iii) conflict and instability: armed groups, rebel factions, or even governments might engage in conflicts to gain control over lucrative resources
give an example of a country suffering from the ‘resource curse’
Nigeria & Oil Example
oil largely in South Nigeria, so geographically skewed as to where the money is vs where it is not, South more developed than the North, regional divide & because leaders tend to be military from North brings in ethnic dimension
what does Norman believe is required to end the resource curse?
ending resource curse requires ending the cycle of state decay that underlies it (Norman, 2012)
means providing resource-rich states with both the incentive and the means to conduct state-building
to cause any appreciable shift in the incentives facing leaders of resource-rich nations, it will be necessary to step beyond voluntary initiatives