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Mobile phone coverage and violent conflict

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  • Ackermann, Klaus
  • Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa
  • Smyth, Russell

Abstract

We examine the effects of mobile phone coverage on violent conflicts in Africa using a new monthly panel dataset on mobile phone coverage at 55×55 km grid cell levels for 32 African countries covering the period from 2008 to 2018. The base rate of a conflict event in a month across our data set is 0.0039 with a standard deviation of 0.0620. We find that access to mobile phone coverage increases the probability of a conflict occurring in the next month by 0.0028. This finding is robust to a suite of sensitivity checks including the use of various specifications and alternative datasets. We examine heterogeneity on the impact of mobile phone coverage across state-based conflict, non-state-based conflict and one-sided conflict, and find that our results are being driven by non-state conflicts. We examine economic growth as a channel through which mobile phone coverage influences conflict. In doing so, we construct new satellite data for night-time light activity as a proxy for economic growth. We find that economic activity is a channel through which mobile phone coverage influences conflicts, and that higher economic growth weakens the positive effect of mobile phone coverage on conflict.

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  • Ackermann, Klaus & Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell, 2021. "Mobile phone coverage and violent conflict," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 269-287.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:188:y:2021:i:c:p:269-287
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2021.04.038
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    4. Pan, Lei & Dwumfour, Richard Adjei & Kheng, Veasna, 2022. "Lightening the Path to Financial Development: The Power of Electricity," MPRA Paper 113358, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Flückiger, Matthias & Ludwig, Markus, 2023. "Mobile phone coverage and infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 462-485.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mobile phones; Cell phone coverage; Violence; Conflict; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q34 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Natural Resources and Domestic and International Conflicts

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