Conflict

Conflict causes and dynamics (part 2)

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International dimensions

Conflicts may not have exclusively domestic causes. International factors can exacerbate domestic trends and can undermine efforts to prevent or resolve conflicts. Internal factors include criminal trading networks, trade in arms and conflict commodities, external military intervention, and cross-border insecurity. The potential role of development assistance is covered in the next section.

The following three academic texts explore international trends since the end of the Cold War, and how these have affected the ability of states to manage conflict.

Kaldor, M. and Luckham, R. 2001, 'Global Transformations and New Conflicts', IDS Bulletin, 32(2), pp. 48-59, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton
This article from the Institute of Development Studies reviews the characteristics and legacies of post-Cold War conflicts, and the steps for building democratic peace. Although moulded by common global processes, each conflict has its own distinct characteristics. 
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Duffield, M. 2001, 'Introduction, Global Governance and the New Wars', in Global Governance and the New Wars: the Merging of Development and Security, M. Duffield, Zed Books, London
Since the mid-1990s, changing perceptions of war and security have led to the ‘radicalisation of development’. Aid policy has shifted from humanitarian relief towards conflict resolution and societal reconstruction to avert future violence. What has triggered these changes? How has the nature of war changed since the end of the Cold War? Can the new development agenda deliver security in the face of ‘new wars’?Using a ‘systems’ approach, a new system of global governance is identified. The radical social transformation agenda is bringing together governments, NGOs, military establishments and private companies in networks of strategic governance relations that are increasingly privatised and militarised.
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Clapham, C. 2002, 'The Challenge to the State in the Globalised World' Development and Change Vol. 33 No. 5
This article focuses particularly on African states. The article looks at how processes of globalisation are making the nation state model increasingly difficult and costly to sustain. 
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The following is a policy-oriented paper, covering among other things the natural resources, organised crime, development assistance, the arms trade, the role of the private sector in conflict-affected contexts.

International Alert and Saferworld, 2004, Strengthening Global Security through Addressing the Root Causes of Conflict, Priorities for the Dutch and Irish Presidencies in 2004, International Alert and Saferworld
Set against the ever changing backdrop of EU presidencies and global conflict situations, the aim of this document is to highlight practical steps the EU could take to put commitments on conflict prevention into practice during the forthcoming Spanish and Danish Presidencies. It has a particular focus on relations with Africa, Caribbean, Pacific and Mediterranean countries.
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Development assistance and conflict

Since the mid 1990s, experts have highlighted the potential of aid to exacerbate conflict causes and dynamics. Developmental assistance that is not sensitive to the causes and dynamics of conflict can contribute to the onset of conflicts, for example through exacerbating inequalities and grievances of excluded groups. Insensitive aid and humanitarian relief can fuel conflicts or undermine peacebuilding by supporting the war economy and contributing to the power, legitimacy and resources of belligerent groups. Donor attempts to respond to these concerns are addressed in the section on conflict prevention and conflict-sensitive approaches in this topic guide.

The following OECD research synthesis explores how aid can create incentives and disincentives for peace.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2001, 'The Influence of Aid in Situations of Violent Conflict', OECD Conflict Prevention and Development Co-operation Papers, DAC Journal, Vol. 2, no. 1
How can donors better use Official Development Assistance (ODA) to create incentives and disincentives to reduce violent conflict and build durable peace? This paper from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) presents the results of two workshops held in 1999, which reviewed case studies on Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda and Sri Lanka, and relevant policy research. It argues that the most important issue is how to manage (dis)incentives so as to promote conditions and dynamics propitious to non-violent conflict resolution.
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The following ECDPM study critically assesses the role of the European Union in Somalia, producing wide-ranging recommendations for improvements.

Bayne, S. 2001. The European Union's Political and Development Response to Somalia, ECDPM Discussion Paper 25, Maastricht
Driven by clan-based conflict, Somalia has been without an internationally recognised government since 1991. Providing rehabilitation and development assistance to such a politically fragile state has posed a major challenge to the international community. Since 1995 the European Union (EU) has been the largest donor and this report examines its political and development response to Somalia.
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Since the late 1990s, many donors have responded to these concerns, developing new approaches to engaging in conflict areas. The following article argues that despite these changes, ethical problems continue.

Uvin, P., 2001, 'Difficult Choices in the New Post-conflict Agenda: The International Community in Rwanda After the Genocide', Third World Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 2
Rwanda has emerged as one of the countries where the new post-conflict agenda is being most strongly implemented, under extremely difficult conditions. This agenda poses many deep, and unsolved, ethical questions for donors. This paper from Tufts University analyses donor behaviour in relation to government and justice in Rwanda and identifies the key problems associated with the new approach. It calls for greater promotion of local dialogue and increased clarity and transparency in donor engagement.
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What other resources are available on the GSDRC?

More information on the causes of particular conflicts is available in the conflict case studies part of this topic guide.

An analysis of the role of development assistance in conflict causes and dynamics can be found in the conflict prevention and conflict-sensitive approaches section of this topic guide.

Additional information resources

Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE)
CRISE is a DFID-funded Development Research Centre based at Oxford University. Its research covers horizontal inequalities, ethnic identities, and policy levers for addressing the causes of conflict.

Crisis States Programme
The Crisis States Programme at London School of Economics is a DFID funded Development Research Centre investigating the causes of crisis, breakdown and conflict in the developing world and the processes of avoiding or overcoming them.

International Alert
International Alert is an NGO working to build lasting peace through capacity building, mediation and dialogue. It carries out advocacy and produces policy analysis, available on the website, covering the conflict aspects of themes including the international causes of conflict.

PRIO - the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo
PRIO is an independent research institute, which has produced research on themes including identities and conflict, and natural resources.

UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery
The UNDP's Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery has a webpage on Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding, which outlines its conflict-sensitive approach and includes a short document on conflict analysis.

World Bank
The World Bank has a research programme on the 'Economics of civil war, crime and violence', featuring working papers, online theme pages and datasets.  

Accord
Accord provides an international review of peace initiatives' provides detailed narrative and rigorous analysis on specific peace processes. It is the acclaimed publication of the Accord Programme from Conciliation Resources.

International Crisis Group
ICG is a multinational organisation working to prevent and resolve conflict through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy. Its website hosts a number of databases and publications of interest, including the 'conflict histories database' which includes brief detailed histories of conflicts over five continents.

The Institute for Security Studies
The ISS aims to enhance human security in Africa and has many publications relating to conflicts in the region.

United States Institute of Peace
USIP is an independent US federal institution created to support the development, transmission, and use of knowledge to promote peace and curb violent international conflict. The USIP includes a 'focus on Iraq' page.

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