Sustainable Stability? A Comparative Study of Conflict, Governance and Development in East Africa
Keywords | Armed Conflict; Identity Group; Institution; New Institutions Economics; Political Transformation; Public Choice, Rule of Law; Civil War; Structural Stability; Violent Conflict; World Bank |
Countries | East Africa: Tanzania, Uganda |
Objectives | Despite similar initial conditions in many ways, the countries of East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) since independence have seen a remarkable variation in their development paths, particularly with regard to political stability. Using current World Bank findings on the economics of civil wars as a starting point this research aims to contribute to a better understanding of how this variation has come about. The focus thereby lies on a comparison between Tanzania and Uganda, as both countries show the largest variation in group violence in East Africa while they have at the same time received relatively less scientific attention. Sources of historical as well as present-day violence and non-violence in both countries are investigated via a literature review and in-depth interviews with local representatives from politics, academia, society, and the donor community. On this basis, the contribution and shortcomings of the World Bank model are critically evaluated, both with regard to the model’s explanatory power for the East African context as well as to its policy recommendations; and modifications to the framework are proposed which incorporate theoretical concepts from the new institutional economics and public choice. Finally, today’s governance structures in both countries are investigated with regard to their ability to sustain stability in the future and conclusions for policy recommendations towards local decision-makers and in particular the donor community are drawn. |
Methodology | Qualitative Research; Comparative Studies |
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Contact | Stefan Blum (roemer-blum@web.de) |
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