Ethnic diversity and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from refugee-hosting areas

[en] This study explores how forced migration affects ethnic diversity and conflict in 23 Sub-Saharan African countries from 2005 to 2016. Using UNHCR data on refugee camp locations, we predict changes in local ethnic diversity. By integrating Afrobarometer and Ethnic Power Relations-Ethnicity of Refugees datasets, we analyse the link between refugee-induced diversity and conflict occurrence. Findings indicate that refugee-induced polarization increases the risk of local violence, while fractionalization has a mitigating effect. Notably, the number of refugees does not impact the likelihood of conflict; instead, alterations in ethnic diversity, especially polarization, emerge as the primary driver of conflict.

Research center :

Department of Economics and Management

Disciplines :

General economics & history of economic thought

Author, co-author :

BERTINELLI, Luisito ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF) > Department of Economics and Management (DEM)

Cömertpay, Rana

Maystadt, Jean-François

External co-authors :

yes

Language :

English

Title :

Ethnic diversity and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from refugee-hosting areas

Publication date :

January 2025

Journal title :

Journal of Development Economics

ISSN :

0304-3878

Publisher :

Elsevier BV

Volume :

172

Pages :

103393

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Focus Area :

Migration and Inclusive Societies

Development Goals :

16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0304387824001421?httpAccept=text/xml

Funders :

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
World Bank Group

Available on ORBilu :

since 06 November 2024

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Bibliography

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