State repression and post-conflict peace failure

Keels, Eric; Nichols, Angela D.

doi:10.1080/14678802.2017.1420313

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Further, government principals and their agents may rethink the use of abuses because they are no longer perceived as effective population control. Researchers have found that physical integrity rights abuse could lead to more violent dissent and conflict (Hegre & Nygård, 2015; Keels & Nichols, 2018). As such, passive or active learning about the limited utility of abuses could also change the cost-benefit calculus of leaders and their agents.…”

Section: A Review Of the Logic Of Repressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A post-conflict government may continue or heighten their use of human rights violations in an attempt to limit violent dissent and war recurrence. However, the use of repression could backfire, mobilizing the population and even contributing to a re-emergence of civil conflict (Hegre & Nygård, 2015; Keels & Nichols, 2018). Many post-conflict states do not stay peaceful for long (Fortna, 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Interventions and repression following civil conflict

Bsisu

Murdie

2021

Journal of Peace Research

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Civil conflicts inevitably have negative consequences with regards to respect for human rights within affected states. Unfortunately, the violation of human rights often does not end with the conflict. What factors explain variation in state repression in post-civil conflict societies? Can international interventions, both civilian and military, improve human rights in states with a history of conflict? Does the size of the intervention matter? We argue that international interventions, including peacekeeping missions and officially directed foreign aid, can reduce physical integrity abuses. This process occurs by simultaneously increasing protections for civilians while also raising the costs of repression to both government leaders and their agents. Human rights abuses will also decrease when there are legal remedies available to vulnerable populations which are bolstered by a strong judicial system. A robust civil society can also discourage human rights abuses by shedding light on these events and providing human rights education. In line with our theoretical argument, we focus on UN peacekeeping missions, especially those with human rights teams, and officially directed foreign aid for legal and security sector reform and NGOs. Using both a treatment effects approach and a continuous dose–response model, we find much support for the implications of our argument.

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Section: A Review Of the Logic Of Repressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Interventions and repression following civil conflict

Bsisu

Murdie

2021

Journal of Peace Research

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“…In contrast, theories emphasizing territorial conditions typically focus on how the quality of the economy and the quality of governance in a country motivate recurrence or constrain opportunities for renewed violence. For example, Walter (2004) contends that poor economic and social conditions following one armed conflict significantly increase the likelihood of another conflict because average citizens are more likely to take up arms in the face of severe personal hardship and the absence of non-violent means for bringing about change (see also Keels and Nichols, 2018). Similarly, Hegre and Nygard (2015) argue the key to preventing recurrence is establishing effective law enforcement and providing social services after a war ends (also Walter, 2015).…”

Section: Armed Conflict Recurrencementioning

confidence: 99%

Why does armed conflict begin again? A new analytic approach

Schoon

2018

International Journal of Comparative Sociology

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An increasing majority of armed conflicts worldwide are episodes of recurrence (i.e. armed conflicts that occur after another armed conflict ends in the same country). This trend motivates a growing collection of scholarship on the causes of recurrence, but empirical research on this topic supports contradictory conclusions. Engaging these contradictions, this article introduces a novel approach to retroductive comparative analysis, which adapts the logic of semi-structured interviews for use in historical research, to examine the features and causes of 58 cases of armed conflict recurrence that took place between 1946 and 2005. Through this analysis, I identify five varieties of recurrence that are substantively and causally distinct. My analysis identifies scope conditions for existing theories of recurrence and, more broadly, demonstrates how distinct configurations of power inequalities, political opportunities, and the pursuit of legitimacy shape the proximate causes of each variety of recurrence.

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“…At the same time, pressure on limited resources and the struggle for political influence foster tensions (e.g. Keels and Nichols, 2018). Under these difficult conditions governments often resort to violence to maintain control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study has important policy implications. First, understanding drivers of postwar repression is crucial to reduce the risk of conflict re-escalation as repression directly affects the stability of peace, especially in weak states (Keels and Nichols, 2018; Rost, 2011; Young, 2013). Second, by focusing on how the government treats fundamental rights to physical security we assess the quality of postwar peace as experienced by the population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The legacy of war: The effect of militias on postwar repression

Carey

González

2020

Conflict Management and Peace Science

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How do wartime legacies affect repression after the conflict ends? Irregular forces support the government in many civil wars. We argue that if this link continues after the war, respect for human rights declines. As ''tried and tested'' agents they are less likely to shirk when given the order to repress. Governments might also keep the militias as a ''fall-back option'', which results in more repression. Analyzing data from 1981 to 2014 shows that pro-government militias that were inherited from the previous conflict are consistently associated with worse repression, but newly created ones are not. Wartime pro-government militias target a broader spectrum of the population and are linked to worse state violence. New militias usually supplement wartime ones and use violence primarily against political opponents. This study highlights the detrimental impact of war legacies.

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State repression and post-conflict peace failure

Cited by 6 publications

References 53 publications

Interventions and repression following civil conflict

Interventions and repression following civil conflict

Why does armed conflict begin again? A new analytic approach

The legacy of war: The effect of militias on postwar repression

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