Robbers or Rebels?: Understanding the Role of Greed and Grievance in Fragile Societies

Abstract

As the fi rst decade of the twenty-fi rst century came to a close, more than 44 of the 53 countries of the African continent continued to be involved in pervasive violence and rebellion at a substantial cost to human security and economic performance. On one hand, rebellion may be explained by severe grievances such as high inequality or a lack of political rights, as well as ethnic and religious cleavages; on the other, it may be explained by opportunities such as resource predation and geography of the area. Drawing largely from fi eld research on social entrepreneurship and reconciliation in Burundi, as well as from extensive fi eld knowledge and a review of academic literature, this article addresses theoretical analysis of rebellion in fragile communities.