@article{THESIS,
      recid = {7230},
      author = {Secades, Jorge},
      title = {Geographical Patterns of Civilian Targeting in North and  West Africa.},
      publisher = {University of Chicago},
      school = {M.A.},
      address = {2023-08},
      number = {THESIS},
      abstract = {This thesis examines how civilian targeting is affected by  urbanization, geography (maritime capitals versus  landlocked), rough terrain and allocation of resources in  the capitals of North and West Africa. The purpose is to  answer questions like: is there a correlation between less  urbanized countries and a safer capital? Does at least 25%  of the civilian targeting occur in countries that are more  than 50% urbanized? Does most of the civilian targeting  occur within 25 miles from urban centers? Do maritime  capitals in North and West Africa experience more civilian  targeting?  The thesis starts by collecting the  urbanization rates for countries in North and West Africa,  a total of 20 countries, and follows by analyzing the  location of the civilian targeting in the period between  2000-2022 and thus coding the results either as rural or  urban and the latter ones if located in the capital or not.    Combining the last two outcomes, civilian targeting in  the capital and the country’s rate of urbanization, the  paper found that in North and West African countries the  lower the urbanization rate, the less civilian targeting  that the capital experiences. Surprisingly, during this  study, we discovered as well that civilian targeting was  more frequent in maritime African capitals than landlocked  capitals.  As a result of this finding, the thesis  investigated three additional landlocked countries  (Burundi, Central African Republic and Ethiopia) to  contrast our results.  Unfortunately, these results fail to  provide us a meaningful answer since some landlocked  African capitals outside West Africa were safe while others  experienced high civilian targeting.  Therefore, there must  be another reason why some low urbanized and landlocked  countries experience less civilian victimization in the  capital. At this point, we investigated the location of  natural resources as a potential explanation for the  civilian targeting patters in West Africa. Our results  showed that landlocked countries in the Sahel with low  urbanization rates and scattered natural resources far from  the capital experience significantly less civilian  targeting in their capitals compared to other African  countries that do not meet these three criteria.  Finally,  the paper unearthed the “Desert Paradox”, Landlocked  countries in Africa with vast amounts of desert within  their borders tend to have jihadist groups that operate in  the rural areas and near the natural resources. This  creates an environment where the African capitals of  landlocked, low urbanized countries with vast amounts of  desert within their border, have the safest capitals in  Africa.},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/7230},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.6082/uchicago.7230},
}