Dr. Achim Wennmann has contributed an essay on “The Political Economy of Violent Conflict” to the Armed Conflict Survey 2016, published annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The Armed Conflict Survey 2016 provides in-depth analysis of the political, military and humanitarian dimensions of all major armed conflicts, as well as data on fatalities, refugees and internally displaced persons. It assesses key developments in 37 high-, medium- and low-intensity conflicts, including those in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Israel–Palestine, Southern Thailand, Colombia and Ukraine.

Dr. Wennmann’s essay examines how a political-economy perspective could provide policy-makers with means to better understand the organisational aspects of armed groups and the behaviour and motives of their members. By delineating the functions of violence, the characteristics of armed groups and the financing of conflict, this article helps to develop a better understanding of conflict dynamics in fluid and turbulent circumstances.

Besides Achim Wennmann, other world leading experts on armed conflict contributed to the publication, including Lawrence Freedman, Daniel Byman and Carol Mann. The Armed Conflict Survey 2016 will be available from May 6th. For more information, please click here.