Development and the Peace Dividend Insecurity Paradox in Angola

Abstract

At the end of a civil war, it is frequently assumed that there is a ‘pay-off’ that arises from the reallocation of military spending, the so-called ‘peace dividend’, allowing for increased economic growth and greater attention to social questions. However, this outcome is by no means guaranteed. The extent of the peace dividend depends on a series of multidimensional factors which the political economy of development can help us to understand. In this article, the concept ‘peace dividend insecurity paradox’ is suggested as a way of describing the situation when the peace dividend fails to materialise. To this end, we introduce the need for a broader analysis linking human security to development. The case of Angola is analysed, in which it is argued that the ‘vested interests’ established during more than 25 years of civil war prevented the consolidation of human security and development, and now may lead to the creation of the peace dividend insecurity paradox. Un des avantages qui decoule de la fin d'un...