Natural Resources and the Duration of Civil War

• In Event: How to End a Civil War?

Abstract

When and how do natural resource lead to increased duration of conflict? Despite great interest in the literature on the resource curse, quantitative analyses remain inconclusive on this point. This paper uses a mixed-methods approach, using pre-existing quantitative data to identify 30 cases of civil war in resource-dependent states for qualitative study. We look at each of the thirty cases for indications that natural resources provided funding for combatants or provided incentives for fighting over negotiating, leading to increased duration of the conflict. Taking a medium-N qualitative approach allows us conduct a more thorough investigation of the prevalance of the causal mechanisms suggested in the literature. The study adds to conversations regarding greed and grievance and differential effects across types of conflict and types of natural resources.

Author

• Megan Becker, University of Southern California