Engines of War in Darfur: An Economic Agenda or Socio-Economic Grievances? : A qualitative study of the link between economic factors and the onset and duration of the current war in Darfur

Abstract

The importance of greed and grievance in civil war formation has attracted attention in some academic circles and led to economic analyses on the causes of civil wars. As a result, the Collier-Hoeffler framework has emerged in the literature that considers economic agendas to be the main factor causing civil conflict. Although it has been applied to explain conflicts in Africa, the Collier-Hoeffler framework alone does not provide sufficient tools to analyze the underlying conditions that have led to the civil conflict in Darfur. This thesis provides an analysis of the economic origins of the Darfur crisis and argues that it is not principally rebel economic opportunity behind the war in Darfur, but rather socio-economic grievances derived from culturally and regionally imposed economic marginalization. Moreover, this thesis addresses the interlinkages that exist between conflict and natural resources and how access to and unequal distribution of natural resources have lead to the onset and duration of violent conflict. The main argument is that the crisis is not an outcome of either greed or grievance, but that both aspects need to be taken into consideration when assessing the economic causes of the conflict. The study hopefully represents a contribution towards the understanding of one of the root causes of conflict in Darfur.