The Political Economy of the Conflict Trade

The economies of conflict play a crucial part in motivating and sustaining the illicit extraction and trade of diamonds, coltan, gold and other natural resources from conflict zones in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This book focuses on the political economy of life and death for ordinary people in extreme and marginalised environments. It addresses the issues of children and youth in conflict zones; child labour; the networks and economies that these people are part of; and the choices they feel compelled to make based on the agency available to them. Drawing upon a ‘critical anthropology of war’ this book shows not only that these realities matters, but also that ignoring them may have dire consequences for policy formulations and interventions.

Presenting an ethnographic approach to an important, but ignored aspect of the political economy of conflict, this book will be an important supplement as well as correction to the traditional political economy of conflict literature that focuses on elite networks and international structures. It will be of very strong interest to students and scholars of political economy, conflict studies, international relations and development.