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Economic Determinants of Third Party Intervention in Civil Conflict

Author

Listed:
  • Vincenzo Bove

    (Department of Government, University of Essex)

  • Petros G. Sekeris

    (Center for Research in the Economics of Development, University of Namur)

Abstract

Our paper explores the economic conditions that lead third parties to intervene in ongoing internal wars. We develop a formal model that ties together some of the main forces driving the decision to interfere in a civil war, including the economic benefits accruing from the intervention and the potential costs associated with such choice. We predict that third party interventions are most likely in civil conflicts where the country at war harbors a profitable industry as a consequence of its high levels of peace-time production and state strength, while the opposition forces’ strength reduces the likelihood of intervention. We also present novel empirical results on the role of valuable goods, i.e. oil, in prompting third party military intervention in contexts of high state stability, by using a dataset on intrastate conflicts on the period 1960-1999.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincenzo Bove & Petros G. Sekeris, 2011. "Economic Determinants of Third Party Intervention in Civil Conflict," Working Papers 1115, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:nam:wpaper:1115
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intrastate Conflict; Third party intervention;

    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • H56 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - National Security and War

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