Africa's Recovery from Conflict: Making Peace Work for the Poor

Abstract

This policy brief summarizes the results of a UNU-WIDER project on war and reconstruction in Africa directed by Tony Addison, which is now published as From Conflict to Recovery in Africa. As this study makes clear, peace is often elusive and economic policy can play a major role in supporting the efforts of those working at the national and international levels to build peace. Above all it is crucial to focus post-conflict policies on the needs of the poor, so that recovery is broad based in its benefits, and does not simply benefit a narrow elite.

Keywords: recovery, war, Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, conflict, post-conflict

JEL Classification: F5, I38, H56