Buying Peace or Fuelling War: The Role of Corruption in Armed Conflict
Author(s)
Le Billon, Philippe
Abstract
Although corruption may have a corrosive effect on economies and rule-based institutions, it also forms part of the fabric of social and political relationships. This endogenous character means that conflict may be engendered more by changes in the pattern of corruption than by the existence of corruption itself. Such changes, frequently associated with domestic or external shocks, can lead to armed conflict as increasingly violent forms of competitive corruption between factions fuel war by rewarding belligerents. Controversially, buying-off belligerents can facilitate a transition to peace; but sticks such as economic sanctions, rather than carrots, have dominated international conflict resolution instruments. While buying peace can present a short-term solution, the key challenge for peace-building initiatives and fiscal reforms is to shift individual incentives and rewards away from the competition for immediate corrupt gains. This may be facilitated by placing public revenues under international supervision during peace processes.
