| ID | 182661 |
| Title Proper | Civilian targeting in African conflicts |
| Other Title Information | a poor actor’s game that spreads through space |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Spagat, Michael ; Lis, Piotr ; Lee, Uih Ran |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Armed conflict actors frequently target civilian populations. Thus, an improved understanding of such behaviour could pave the way to reducing it. We use the Civilian Targeting Index (CTI) and a broad array of geo-referenced data to investigate the spatio-temporal and economic dynamics of civilian targeting by conflict actors in Africa. Two main insights are generated. First, the civilian targeting behaviour of African non-state conflict actors is strongly influenced by the behaviour of other proximate actors. In particular, non-state actors tend to increase their civilian targeting after nearby non-state actors have done so. Possible mechanisms to explain such spatial spillovers include emulation and retaliation. Second, a negative relationship between economic activity and civilian targeting exists and applies to both state and non-state actors. In addition, CTIs of non-state actors tend to increase with population density, the geographical spread of their conflict activity and conflict duration. State actors have higher average CTIs than non-state actors do, but the gap between the two actor types tends to close during long-duration conflicts. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Peace Research Vol. 58, No.5; Sep 2021: p.900-914 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Peace Research Vol: 58 No 5 |
| Key Words | African Conflicts ; Civilian Targeting ; One-Sided Violence ; Spatial Diffusion |