Timber, Drugs or Gold: The Podium for Conflict Related Sexual Violence : A qualitative study on the impact of lootable and non lootable resources on conflict related sexual violence

Sammanfattning: Recent research has identified a correlation between differrent ways of exploiting natural resources and the occurrence of conflict-related sexual violence. In a quantitative study, extortion showed to have a high correlation with instances of conflict-related sexual violence, but the study lacked evidence for a causal relationship. Lootability has shown to have a great impact on a multiple dynamics of armed conflict, but are lacking research on its impact on conflict-related sexual violence. The thesis, through a qualitative study of the rebel groups ADF in Uganda and FNL in Burundi, offers a combined perspective on the strategic and opportunistic use of sexual violence in conflicts tied to natural resource exploitation. Through a structured focused comparison, this thesis aims to bridge the gap of lootability as a potential explanatory model for CRSV and add on a causal mechanism identifying as to why extortion correlates with CRSV. Case studies provide some support for the hypothesis, but the evidence is not robust enough to draw definitive conclusions. This highlights the need for more detailed research into how specific characteristics of natural resources impact CRSV.