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Impact of access to electricity on internal conflicts in Africa: Does income inequality matter?

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  • Bruno Emmanuel Ongo Nkoa
  • Honoré Tekam Oumbé
  • Georges Ngnouwal Eloundou
  • Thierry Asngar Mamadou

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of access to electricity on internal conflicts in Africa. Using income inequality as a transition variable and a sample of 36 countries, we estimate a panel data model by several regressions, including fixed effects, random effects, generalized least squares and the Driscoll–Kraay method from 1990 to 2017. Our findings show that regardless of the considered dimension, access to electricity reduces the risk of internal conflicts in Africa. However, its effects differ depending on whether a given area is urban or rural. The findings also suggest that income inequality is crucial to reducing internal conflicts in Africa.

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  • Bruno Emmanuel Ongo Nkoa & Honoré Tekam Oumbé & Georges Ngnouwal Eloundou & Thierry Asngar Mamadou, 2022. "Impact of access to electricity on internal conflicts in Africa: Does income inequality matter?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(3), pages 395-409, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:afrdev:v:34:y:2022:i:3:p:395-409
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-8268.12664
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