Page "Resource curse" Paragraph 3

Natural resources can, and often do, provoke conflicts within societies ( Collier 2007 ), as different groups and factions fight for their share.

Sometimes these emerge openly as separatist conflicts in regions where the resources are produced ( such as in Angola's oil-rich Cabinda province ) but often the conflicts occur in more hidden forms, such as fights between different government ministries or departments for access to budgetary allocations.

This tends to erode governments ' abilities to function effectively.

There are several main types of relationships between natural resources and armed conflicts.

First, resource curse effects can undermine the quality of governance and economic performances, thereby increasing the vulnerability of countries to conflicts ( the ' resource curse ' argument ).

Second, conflicts can occur over the control and exploitation of resources and the allocation of their revenues ( the ' resource war ' argument ).

Third, access to resource revenues by belligerents can prolong conflicts ( the ' conflict resource ' argument ).

According to one academic study, a country that is otherwise typical but has primary commodity exports around 25 % of GDP has a 33 % risk of conflict, but when exports are 5 % of GDP the chance of conflict drops to 6 %.