Das Konfliktpotential großer Rohstoffvorkommen in Mosambik

Christina Saulich; Siegmar Schmidt

2018

Current protests and acts of violence have sparked a debate on a potential resource curse in Mozambique. This paper analyses the role of resource abundance in recent societal conflicts in Mozambique. The strand of literature on resources and conflicts sheds no light on the underlying structural sources of conflict in resource rich countries. The authors therefore draw on Edward E. Azar’s model of Protracted Social Conflicts with the aim to develop an analytical framework that combines Azar’s conflict theory with the literature on resources and conflict. The research framework is illustrated using the example of Mozambique. Thereby this paper contributes to the literature on resources and conflict by showing how Azar’s model of Protracted Social Conflicts can be used for analysing conflicts in resource abundant countries. Furthermore, it provides a better understanding of the role of resources in recent conflicts in Mozambique and discusses approaches to conflict transformation.