Popis: |
What explains different degrees of ethnic group mobilization and exclusion across decolonized states? And how can ethnic civil conflict be avoided in these states? This chapter addresses these questions on the basis of a comparative case study of Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon. Relying on evidence from in-depth elite interviews, collected during three months of field research, and secondary sources, the chapter illuminates the causal path leading from inequality and mobilization to violent conflict—or from transethnic cooperation and ethnic inclusion to peace—in these two cases. It also examines the historical origins of ethnic and transethnic organizations in the two countries. Highlighting the crucial impact of elite behavior, the evidence from Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon suggests that the historical nature of elite alliances decisively shapes patterns of inequality, mobilization, and, ultimately, violence in decolonized states. |