Exclusion, Association and violence:Trends and triggers in Northern Ghana's Konkomba-Dagomba wars

Abstract

Recurrent ethnic violence is common to many countries. For social scientists, recurrence raises important issues. Why are some, locales "riot prone" and others not. What triggers riots in places with this tendency. For Varshney, the presence of intra-ethnic organizations and the absence of inter-ethnic institutions increase the likelihood of riot outbreaks. For Wilkinson, political factors, particularly the structure of electoral incentives are a key factor.