The Ties That Bind: Ethnicity, Pro-government Militia, and the Dynamics of Violence in Civil War

Author(s): Luke Abbs, Govinda Clayton, Andrew Thomson
Journal Title: Journal of Conflict Resolution
Pages: 1-30
Publisher(s): SAGE Journals
Publication Year: 2019

Existing research reveals many of the ways pro-government militia (PGM) shape civil violence but overlooks how the ethno-political ties between the state and a PGM might influence these effects. This article argues that co-ethnic militia (i.e., groups composed of the ruling elite’s ethnic kin) are relatively loyal, irregular forces that multiply state military capacity. The greater loyalty of co-ethnic groups mitigates principal–agent problems but further polarizes ethnic communities, and as a result, co-ethnic PGMs are likely to be associated with longer and more intense civil conflict. The authors test this argument on a global sample of cases from 1989 to 2007 using new data capturing the ethnic ties of all PGMs.

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