The global community has witnessed unprecedented outbreaks of violence and deaths, marking the start of a familiar cycle of mayhem. The world could not have envisaged a situation where people would turn against each other in an orgy of killing and destruction. International effects are profoundly ingrained in civil wars in the modern world. There exist several distinct perspectives regarding the international system and how it influences civil conflicts: global cultural influences like world religions, democratization, and education, liberal institutional conception and the diplomatic mediation of the United Nations, realist conception and the superpower interventions of the Cold War era, and the global economy and structural poverty.
Rather than economic conditions, civil strife has been consistently linked to indicators of social grievance such as political repression, inequality, and divisions along ethnic and religious lines. Rebellion is thought to represent the height of the protest movement. However, violent conflict does not typically result from these objective grievances and hatreds. Civil conflicts can occur in areas where rebel groups can make money and have the opportunity to do so. Research indicates that this has happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where armed groups have taken advantage of the hapless civilians to wreak mayhem to unseen proportions (Jacqui and Davies 84). Civil wars have a terrible effect on the prospects for national growth. Moreover, they frequently transcend national boundaries. However, this piece contends that ethnic civil wars most threaten the stability of neighboring countries.
Examining the logical reasons behind conflict is one of the primary objectives of theoretical conflict models. For there to be conflict between rational agents, there are two requirements. Only in the absence of a mutually beneficial and enforceable agreement, or when the agents are unable to come to one, does conflict emerge. The other reasons why parties fight are based on their costs and benefits of fighting, asymmetric information about the possible costs and benefits of a conflict, and the indivisibility of resources that could be exchanged in a war, meaning that not all potentially advantageous bargaining agreements are feasible, agency problems (Dumberry 112). Leaders’ incentives differ from those of the populations they represent or multilateral interactions, implying that every potential agreement is blocked by some coalition of states or constituencies that can derail it. Benefits that are distorted due to information asymmetries are widespread.
The effects of civil wars on the world’s poorest have been devastating over the years, considering that civil conflict frequently erupts in the world’s poorest areas and exacerbates the situation. Since the effects of civil war and its costs are bound to affect all facets of society, research into these topics is crucial. These expenses cover long-term indirect consequences on public health and education and the immediate, direct effects on people, infrastructure, investments, and the economy. Regrettably, women and girls suffer the most from war and conflict because they are frequently objectified to the point where those who commit acts of violence cannot recognize their needs, feelings, or rights and are instead viewed as weapons of war (Mitchell and Mason 79). If they have a disability or are a part of the LGBTQ+ group, for instance, this reality becomes even more complex. Thus, such concerns should be addressed immediately to forestall subsequent disasters.
The various roles that women might play both during and after violent conflict have gained more attention in recent years. It is also acknowledged that periods of war and fragility can offer fresh chances to improve gender relations and advance inclusive, just social, political, and economic environments. Research shows that concerns about women’s involvement, rights, and relationships with the state and society should be more frequently considered or sufficiently addressed in state-building and peacebuilding processes (Walter 103). This results from a lack of political will and, occasionally, a lack of understanding among policymakers regarding the proper way to incorporate gender issues into efforts for state-building and peacebuilding. Additionally, it stems from the idea that addressing gender is a non-priority concern throughout and in the period immediately following the conflict.
The international communities and the agencies that have been charged with restoring and maintaining global peace have failed miserably, and so have religious entities, leading to a situation where anarchy prevails. In retrospect, common misconceptions about the underlying causes of the conflicts persist, which have hampered national development in many African nations. We must examine their causes more closely and the factors that contribute to peace. Numerous analysts have examined the reasons for all our conflicts in political science, anthropology, and other sciences; indeed, it is only fitting that we economists, with the help of regression analysis and other instruments of our trade, have a turn. Inevitably, the outcomes of high rates of poverty, unequal management of natural resource endowments, undemocratic governments, and divisive society. Conflicts arise, and there are exorbitant costs. It will take the collective will of the global community to reverse the harm that has already been done and ensure that the world exists in peace and mutual prosperity.
Dumberry, Patrick. Rebellions and Civil Wars: State Responsibility for the Conduct of Insurgents. Cambridge University Press, 2021.
Mitchell, Sara McLaughlin, and T. David Mason. What Do We Know about Civil Wars? Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2023.
True, Jacqui and Sara E. Davies. The Oxford Handbook of Women, Peace and Security. Oxford University Press, 2019
Walter, Barbara F. How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them. Crown, 2022.