Citation

Bhatia J. Int. J. Drug Policy 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.103046

PMID

33309118

Abstract

The long-term legacies of civil war economies-often characterized by widespread illicit economic activities and the proliferation of criminal and quasi-criminal networks-pose significant challenges to achieving sustainable postwar settlements. This essay surveys predominant strategies to address war economies in peace processes for countries emerging from war. I identify three prevailing approaches-criminalization, co-option, and neglect-and discuss trade-offs associated with each. While there is no clear consensus on which approach is most likely to succeed and most countries will require a balanced combination of all three, it is increasingly clear that peace agreements that fail to sufficiently incorporate the perspectives of communities dependent on illicit economies and to account for how illicit economies shape national and subnational political settlements are more likely to produce unstable postwar regimes in the medium to long-run. I conclude with some reflections on future research agendas and potential policy implications that merit further exploration.

Language: en

Keywords

Drugs; Armed Conflict; Civil Wars; Illicit Economies; Peace Processes; Peacebuilding