The Complexities of Internal Conflict in the Third World: Beyond Ethnic and Religious Conflict

There are many patterns of internal conflict identified in the Third World—“economically vulnerable,” “politically vulnerable,”“heterogeneous‐parochial,” and “egalitarian–distributive”—and the sheer variety of these indicates that internal conflict is a complex phenomenon. Yet the literature tends to categorize the major sources of internal conflict in a rather monocausal fashion, often emphasizing its ethnic or religious dimensions. This study argues that internal conflict in the Third World needs to be analyzed beyond singular explanations and shows that if sufficient attention is paid to the variables that comprise each pattern of internal conflict, a more nuanced understanding of internal conflict is possible. National governments in conflict‐stricken countries need to first identify the “correct” pattern of conflict as well as interrelations among the variables that build up each pattern. When and if international or regional organizations address their respective economic and/or political assistance to the conflict‐stricken countries, such organizations should follow suit.