Ethnic Conflict
Why ethnic groups come into violent conflict, how ethnic divisions are manipulated by political leaders, and what approaches can prevent or resolve ethnic violence.
The Roots of Ethnic Conflict
Ethnic conflict is one of the most devastating forms of political violence. From the Rwandan genocide to the Bosnian War to the ongoing crises in Myanmar and Ethiopia, conflicts organized along ethnic lines have killed millions and displaced tens of millions more. Understanding why ethnic groups fight requires moving beyond simplistic narratives about 'ancient hatreds.'
Most scholars agree that ethnic conflict is not inevitable or natural. Ethnic identities are real and deeply felt, but they become violent primarily when political leaders deliberately mobilize them for power. Slobodan Milosevic did not discover ancient Serb-Croat-Bosniak hatreds; he inflamed them through state media, nationalist rhetoric, and the deliberate stoking of fear. Similarly, Hutu Power leaders in Rwanda spent years dehumanizing Tutsis through radio propaganda before the 1994 genocide. The common thread is elite manipulation: leaders who use ethnic divisions to build political support, often in contexts of economic crisis, state weakness, or political transition.
