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Sectoral effects of development aid on post-war violence: spatially disaggregated evidence from the Great Lakes region

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  • Leonhard, Lucas Kori

Abstract

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Africa’s Great Lakes region experienced some of the most devastating conflicts in recent history. Following a fragile peace negotiated in the mid-2000s, international donors allocated over $38 billion in development aid to support stabilization across the region. This study evaluates the effectiveness of these efforts through a spatially and sectorally disaggregated analysis of over 100 districts and provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Burundi. To ensure robust inference, I employ a combination of negative binomial regression with coarsened exact matching on subnational administrative units and difference-in-differences estimations on locally defined buffer zones.

Suggested Citation

  • Leonhard, Lucas Kori, 2025. "Sectoral effects of development aid on post-war violence: spatially disaggregated evidence from the Great Lakes region," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:195:y:2025:i:c:s0305750x2500230x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2025.107144
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations

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