Horizontal inequalities are root causes of violent conflict in Africa. Yet, people take actions not because of statistical data on inequalities, of which they might not be aware, but because of injustices they perceive. This volume analyses the results of original surveys with over 3,000 respondents in African cities and towns, exposing clear discrepancies between objective inequalities and people's subjective perceptions. The contributors examine experiences in country pairs and probe into the reasons why neighbouring countries, sharing common historical traits, sometimes took contrasting pathways of peace and violent conflict. Combining quantitative analysis and qualitative anatomy of historical experiences of conflict and reconciliation in Rwanda, Burundi, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria, the study brings forward a set of policy recommendations for development practitioners. This work further addresses the issue of institutional choice and reveals how sustainable power-sharing and decentralisation contribute to political stability in Africa.
Editors and Affiliations
Graduate School of Global Studies, Doshisha University, Japan
Yoichi Mine
Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE), University of Oxford, UK
Frances Stewart
The New School, USA
Sakiko Fukuda-Parr
London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
Thandika Mkandawire
About the editors
Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, The New School, USA
Mari Katayanagi, JICA Research Institute, Japan
Mwangi S. Kimenyi,The Brookings Institution, USA
Arnim Langer, University of Leuven, Belgium
Satoru Mikami, JICA Research Institute, Japan
Yoichi Mine, Doshisha University, Japan
Thandika Mkandawire, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
Julius E. Nyang'oro, University of North Carolina, USA
Yuichi Sasaoka, Meiji University, Japan
Frances Stewart, University of Oxford, UK
Shinichi Takeuchi, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan
Ukoha Ukiwo, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Preventing Violent Conflict in Africa
Book Subtitle: Inequalities, Perceptions and Institutions
