RESOURCE WARS

1
RESOURCE WARS

• What is the relationship between resources and
  conflict?
• Notes from The Anatomy of Resource Wars by
  Michael Renner, Worldwatch Paper 162

2
Lets look at Angola

• Resources
• Diamonds Oil
• Conflict
• Government rebels fighting for control, buying
  weapons
• For them, their resources are a curse, not a
  blessing.
• --gtdisplacement, greed, corruption

3
Conclusion

• Many wars/conflicts have strong resource
  dimensions
• Resources finance violence
• People killed or displaced
• Arms trafficking
• Environmental destruction

4
Awareness is growing

• UN Panels
• Civil societies, NGOs
• Media reports

5
The underlying causes

• Some places --resources fund continuing conflicts
  originated form other factors (ideology)
• Some places --resources attract predators,
  violence to maintain control of money, not to
  overthrow the government

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Repercussions of resource extraction

• Economic benefits accrue to the national elite or
  foreign investors
• BUT the burdens go to the locals
• No local input or consultation
• SO locals resist --gt conflicts, sabotage, human
  rights violations

7
Global/International/Regional Connections

• World market for illegal resources
• Arms trade
• --gt Cross-border resource wars

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COMPARE Conflicts

• Resource Wealth
• Non-renewable resources (fuel, minerals)

• Resource Scarcity
• Things that can be looted (land, water)

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Looking at Resource Wealth Conflicts

• Struggle to control or plunder resources
  (minerals, timber, other commodities)

Have resources--gtfund war --gtkeep access to resources --gthave resources --gtfund war, etc. EXAMPLE Sudan, simplified --gtOil exports --gtGovt. war against southern rebels --gtGovt must expand oil production to pay for war --gtMove deeper into rebel territory for oil --gtScorched earth in south to get oil --gtMaintain oil exports (return to top)
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Some History

• End of Cold War 2 superpowers had been
  supporting Third World allies
• Those groups needed to rely on more criminal
  means to stay in power
• Extortion/drugs/hostages/coerced labor or
• Illicit trade in resources

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Example Diamonds

• Conflict Diamonds (from conflict areas)
• Illicit Diamonds (illegally mined or stolen)
• Legal Diamonds (hard to tell which is which?)

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State and Non-State Groups use resources to
finance military activitiesConsider in your
research
State Sovereign right? Legitimate? Bending laws?Reporting revenue? Buying arms secretly? Rich elite? Use violence to depopulate resource-rich areas? Non-State Rebels Secessionists Warlords More criminal than political Force civilians to work for them Kidnapping/ransoms
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Concepts to look at

• Point vs. Diffuse resources (diamonds in a
  mine vs. diamonds in a riverbed-- controlled by
  one group or available to many)
• Lootability--easier to plunder, oil vs. lumber
  or diffuse diamonds
• Obstructability--ability to block shipment
  (must pay who is in power, rebels can extort
  payments)

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Resource wealth has impacts on frequency,
duration, and intensity of conflicts

• VIOLENCE against civilians, for intimidation,
  drives people away
• NOT competing for peoples hearts
• Therefore atrocities, expulsions, landmines,
  blockades, sexual violence
• Force locals (esp. children) to commit atrocities
  so they cant return home are traumatized

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The Resource Curse

• Conflict lt--combination of factors (weak,
  repressive, undemocratic govt.)
• (Australia has lootable resources but no
  conflict)

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Some factors

• Ample resources
• Govt depends on them, doesnt develop other
  sectors (agric, manuf, services)
• Under-invests in educ. health
• No economic diversity
• No development of human skills
• So, resource-rich countries may be worse off

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Extractive Industries

• Limited of local jobs
• Small pockets of wealth
• If exported before processing--gtnot integrated
  into local economy
• Susceptive to boom/bust economy
• Loans on future, unrealized income
• foreign debt
• More a country depends on extraction--gtworse on
  score of Human Development Index
• (infant mortality, child educ., rich/poor
  disparity, culture of corruption)

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Resource Royalties

• Leaders fund patronage
• Leaders reward followers
• Leaders punish opponents
• Leaders not accountable to population because
  they do not rely on taxes for power
• State institutions are weakened to prevent
  challenges to ruler
• Revenues diverted to generate illicit fortunes to
  rulers
• Spend lots of money on internal arms security

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Connection to Consumerism and Consumption

• Strong demand for commodities consumer products
  --gt Illegal resource exploitation very profitable.

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Corporations? How do they contribute?

• Purchase hot commodities from combatants
• Buy timber or mined goods from rebels warlords
• Ship illicit raw materials
• Deal with repressive governments
• Help procure arms for corrupt governments
• May not be legally wrong, but morally?