ABSTRACT
There are some concerns that remittances are used to fund and sustain conflicts and undermine peacebuilding efforts. Several claims have been put forward while there is no empirical evidence to support them. In this chapter we investigate this claim by estimating the impact of remittances on electoral violence in Africa. Electoral violence is a major problem on the continent and threatens the development and consolidation of democracy. We use micro-level data from the sixth wave of Afrobarometer surveys. After dealing with the endogeneity issue, we find that remittances reduce electoral violence across the African region through promotion of democratic institutions and human development. Our results are robust to alternative specifications. The chapter underscores that remittances, contrary to some claims of fueling conflicts, contribute to dampen electoral violence in Africa. As the sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim at promoting peaceful societies and strengthening the means of its implementation, the findings of this chapter show that policies to increase remittances can help to achieve this goal and ensure peace in Africa.
