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Journal Articles American Economic Review Year : 2017

This Mine is Mine! How Minerals Fuel Conflicts in Africa

Abstract

We combine georeferenced data on mining extraction of 14 minerals with information on conflict events at spatial resolution of 0.5 o x 0.5 o for all of Africa between 1997 and 2010. Exploiting exogenous variations in world prices, we find a positive impact of mining on conflict at the local level. Quantitatively, our estimates suggest that the historical rise in mineral prices (commodity super-cycle) might explain up to one-fourth of the average level of violence across African countries over the period. We then document how a fighting group's control of a mining area contributes to escalation from local to global violence. Finally, we analyze the impact of corporate practices and transparency initiatives in the mining industry.

Dates and versions

hal-01633984 , version 1 (13-11-2017)

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Nicolas Berman, Mathieu Couttenier, Dominic Rohner, Mathias Thoenig. This Mine is Mine! How Minerals Fuel Conflicts in Africa. American Economic Review, 2017, 107 (6), pp.1564-1610. ⟨10.1257/aer.20150774⟩. ⟨hal-01633984⟩
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