The role of ethnic characteristics in the effect of income shocks on African conflict

Manotas-Hidalgo, Beatriz; Pérez-Sebastián, Fidel; Campo-Bescós, Miguel Angel

Abstract

This paper disentangles the ethnic drivers of the effect of food-related income shocks on African conflict employing geolocalized information. We consider diversity and political ethnic variables and several conflict definitions. We find that differentiating between organized armed-force and non-organized conflict can be more informative than between factor and output conflict. We show evidence that conflict is driven by the opportunity cost and state capacity mechanisms. Furthermore, ethnic cleavages have a large role in the transmission process of income shocks on organized armed-force conflict; whereas their role in non-organized violence is more limited. The sensitivity to ethnic heterogeneity for producer-price and droughts shocks is much larger than for consumer-price changes.

Citation

Manotas-Hidalgo, B., Pérez-Sebastián, F., & Campo-Bescós, M. A. (2021). The role of ethnic characteristics in the effect of income shocks on African conflict. World Development, 137, Article 105153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105153

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 18, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 11, 2020
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Deposit Date: Nov 4, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 27, 2022
• Journal: World Development
• Print ISSN: 0305-750X
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-5991
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 137
• Article Number: 105153
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105153
• Keywords: Conflict; Income shocks; Food security; Natural resources
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3559116
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X20302801?via%3Dihub