Which Groups Fight?

The research examines 143 African ethnic groups to determine if customary institutions influence communal violence. It finds that groups with more formalized customary institutions—such as courts, legislatures, and chiefs—are significantly less likely to be involved in both inter-communal and intra-communal conflicts. The authors argue these institutions facilitate credible bargaining and mediation. In contrast, the study finds only weak and non-robust evidence that the inclusiveness or 'democratic' nature of these institutions reduces conflict.

• Ethnic groups with a higher degree of formalized customary institutions are less prone to communal conflict, both internally and with other groups.
• Formal customary institutions are believed to pacify groups by reducing uncertainty and providing mechanisms for credible non-violent bargaining and internal mediation.
• The presence of formal institutions reduces the risk of conflict by limiting the potential for 'spoilers' and allowing groups to impose 'hand-tying' costs on themselves to ensure agreements are kept.
• Simulated data indicates that increasing the number of formal customary institutions from the minimum to the maximum value can decrease the probability of a group experiencing at least one communal conflict from 42% to approximately 10%.
• There is some evidence that inclusive political structures (larger selectorates) are associated with less conflict, but this finding is much weaker and less robust than the effect of formalization.
• The study challenges previous arguments that customary institutions increase conflict risk, suggesting instead that they often serve as essential substitutes for weak state governance in conflict mediation.
• The negative relationship between formal customary institutions and communal conflict remains stable even when controlling for physical environment, agricultural history, cultural aspects, and economic fortunes.

APA

Wig, T., & Kromrey, D. (2017). Which Groups Fight? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a4531ecd-28b3-4453-ac2c-1e96ebfdd740/Which groups fight Customary institutions and communal conflicts in Africa.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Wig, Tore, and Daniela Kromrey. Which Groups Fight? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2017. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a4531ecd-28b3-4453-ac2c-1e96ebfdd740/Which groups fight Customary institutions and communal conflicts in Africa.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wig |first1=Tore |last2=Kromrey |first2=Daniela |title=Which Groups Fight? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=30 May 2017 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a4531ecd-28b3-4453-ac2c-1e96ebfdd740/Which groups fight Customary institutions and communal conflicts in Africa.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wig2017which, author = {Wig, Tore and Kromrey, Daniela}, title = {{Which Groups Fight?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a4531ecd-28b3-4453-ac2c-1e96ebfdd740/Which groups fight Customary institutions and communal conflicts in Africa.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }