Illegal drugs, armed conflict and peacebuilding in Afghanistan

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict Studies, Security, grade: 1,3, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg (Fakultät für Geistes-, Sozial- und Erziehungswissenschaften), course: Contemporary Wars , language: English, abstract: Examining the links between illegal drugs and armed conflicts, Svante E. Cornell (2005:758) suggests that 'the interaction [...] is more complex than it seems at first glance, but it has important implications for strategies of conflict resolution as well as for counter-narcotics efforts'. It is clear that some of the most illicit drug crops and industries are concentrated in countries, regions and communities where the rule of law is weak and these areas are often characterized by social turmoil, instability and violence (Thoumi 2007: 126); this fact suggests that there is a nexus between illegal drugs and armed conflicts. Regarding this type of link some recent literature suggests that 'narcotics extend the duration of conflict' (Cornell 2005: 751). Authors attempting to explain this nexus tend to refer to the concept of 'war economies' which highlight the economic incentives as driving forces in contemporary violent conflicts (Cornell 2005: 752). According to John Goodhand (2005:213), 'war economy has become a catch-all-phrase which is seen automatically as something negative and predatory'. This simplification is reflected in eradication and drug control efforts based on the discourse of predation and profit without considering the 'micro-practices and institutional arrangements' surrounding the illegal drug economies (Goodhand 2005: 213).