Conflict and Crimes paper on Conflict-Related Crimes in Mali

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Unveiling the Nexus:

Social Inequality, Islamist Mobilization, and Conflict-Related Crimes in Mali


Teuntje Wenting (2818359)


Faculty of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam


R_ConCr: Conflict and Crimes


Paper


November 6, 2023




Word count: 4871

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Contents

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………3

2. Social inequality and (ethnic) mobilization theories..…………………………………5

2.1 Classic theories of social inequality…………………………………...5

2.2 Resource mobilization theory………………………………………….7

2.3 Research on ethnic mobilization related to conflict-related crime and

xxxxxxconflict intensification……..………………………………………….8

3. The conflict in Mali….………………………………………………………………..9

3.1 History of conflict……………………………………………………..9

3.2 Profile of the Islamist groups JNIM and ISGS………………………10

4. Case analysis: Social inequality and mobilization theories in Mali.…………………12

4.1 Consequences of relative deprivation and grievances………………..13

4.2 Shared grievances and resource mobilization in empowering JNIM and

xxxxxxISGS……………………………………………………………...…..15

4.3 Influence of (non-)ethnic mobilization on conflict-related violence by

xxxxxxJNIM and ISGS…………………..………………………….……….16

5. Conclusion and discussion...…………………………………………………………18

5.1 Limitations……………………………………………...……………18

5.2 Research and policy suggestions.…………………………………….19

References……………………………………………………………………………………21

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1. Introduction

In 2022, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) recorded an all-time high of more than

3600 fatalities as a result of organized violence, involving Islamist groups Jama'at Nusrat

al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) in Mali

(UCDP, n.d.). Despite prior conflict between these Islamist groups, either with Mali’s

government or among themselves, the situation took a new turn with a resurgence of violent

conflict starting in 2017, leading to a violent escalation within the country (Africa Center for

Strategic Studies [ACSS], 2020; UCDP, n.d.). This resurgence can be attributed to the

absence and further retreat of the state, coupled with the neglect of central Mali by

international actors. These factors collectively paved the way for the integration and

entrenching of violent non-state actors within marginalized communities. Recruitment by the

non-state actors, the Islamist groups, has concentrated on marginalized ethnic groups in Mali

by exploiting their grievances (Human Rights Watch, 2022). This recruitment process also

led different ethnic groups in the conflict area to establish self-defense militias (UCDP, n.d.).

Social inequality is of great importance when exploring the complex dynamics of

mobilization of ethnic groups to Islamist groups. The Inequality-adjusted Human

Development Index (IHDI) examines the level of inequality in a society. The greater the

inequality in a country, the larger the loss in human development, which is reflected in the

difference between the Human Development Index (HDI) and the IHDI. The extreme low

HDI and high IHDI index in Mali highlights the significant gaps in social inequality (United

Nations Development Programme [UNDP], 2022).

The influence of social inequality on mobilization and conflict-related violence has

been widely researched. The classic theory of relative deprivation (Gurr, 1970) argues that

the greater the perceived discrepancy between man’s value expectations and their value

capabilities, the more likely they will resort to violence. The relative deprivation theory has