ABSTRACT
Comparison of data 1955-2016 on genocides and politicides (compiled by Harff) and other mass atrocities (compiled by Ulfelder and Valentino) shows that both types of atrocities occur during or in the immediate aftermath of violent civil conflicts. Non-genocidal mass atrocities are more likely to be carried out by regimes against political opponents, and on average they cause substantially fewer civilian deaths. The most common antecedent of both kinds of mass killings is separatist wars in which rebels seek autonomy or independence. Midstream interventions by international actors aimed at settling or containing these conflicts are increasingly common and have a few successes to their credit. Surprisingly, mass killings by regimes fighting separatist challenges often fail to achieve their objectives. Some victimized groups, like East Timorese and southern Sudanese, have gained independence despite suffering horrible repression. The main lesson of this comparative research is that early and mid-stream intervention should focus on conflict-prone countries that have several risk factors before the outbreak of civil warfare.
