The Link between Protracted Refugee Situations and Civil War in Africa: Encouraging a New Direction for Research

Abstract

Most of the refugees in the world today are mired in protracted refugee situations (PRS). While PRS around the world last for years with no apparent solution on the horizon, the problem is especially prominent in Africa where traditional refugee protection approaches and solutions are not working. This study applies an innovative framework recently developed to study civil war to the analysis of PRS. The enduring rivalry framework was developed for studying the long-term dynamics of serious conflicts between pairs of states. By applying this framework to rivals in civil wars, this study presents a new way of thinking of PRS by tracing the problem back to the enduring internal rivalries that cause and sustain them.