Arms and Ethnic Conflict

Ethnopolitical conflicts have grown in frequency and intensity over the past 30 years. At the same time, major powers like the U.S. seem less inclined to get involved in internal conflicts far from home, especially after the trials of Rwanda, Somalia, and Kosovo. Arms fuel ethnic tension and violence, and yet the relationship between arms and ethnic conflict is not well understood. This book explores the function of arms in ethnic conflict by looking at arms acquisition by ethnic groups, government involvement in escalation, and the role of outsiders in arms influx and sometimes, conflict resolution. Important new data and a fresh look at established records of arms and ethnic conflict are hallmarks of this book.