Which groups fight? Customary institutions and communal conflicts in Africa

Journal of Peace Research • Vol/Iss. 55(4) • SAGE Publications • • Published In • Pages: 415-429 •
By Wig, Tore, Kromrey, Daniela

Abstract

In an attempt to explain communal conflict, this study investigated how customary institutions (i.e. legislatures, courts, and chiefs) may impact the communal conflict activity of groups in Africa. The authors suggest that customary authorities act as local enforcements to mitigate within-group conflict, therefore a higher number of customary institutions should decrease communal conflict. Using data from 143 politically relevant ethnic groups, the authors showed support for their hypothesis and demonstrated marginal support that more inclusive customary institutions would be associated with less communal conflict.
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: danielle.russell