Breaking the Conflict Trap: Civil War and Development Policy

Civil war conflict is a core development issue. The existence of civil war can dramatically slow a country's development process, especially in low-income countries which are more vulnerable to civil war conflict. Conversely, development can impede civil war. When development succeeds, countries become safer-when development fails, they experience a greater risk of being caught in a conflict trap. Ultimately, civil war is a failure of development.

'Breaking the Conflict Trap' identifies the ...