Forced marriage of girls under the age of eighteen is regarded as a fundamental violation of the rights of the child. Despite this fact, armed groups are known to use it as a strategic tactic. They...Show moreForced marriage of girls under the age of eighteen is regarded as a fundamental violation of the rights of the child. Despite this fact, armed groups are known to use it as a strategic tactic. They abduct large groups of girls with the intention to marry them off to members of their rebel group. Yet this is not the case in all armed groups, as there are armed groups who do not show a single case of forced marriages. In this thesis, I will research why this variation occurs. I will argue that the use of forced recruitment by an armed group will influence the use of forced marriages. Groups that use forced recruitment often struggle with group cohesion. Forced marriages can be used to solve this problem through social bonding, the establishment of a family unit and making connections to the local population. This theory will be tested though process tracing using a comparative case analysis of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the Civil Defence Force (CDF) in Sierra Leone during the civil war from 1991 to 2001.Show less
In the literature it is argued that economic and political uncertainty induced by political instability has adverse effects on investments of corporations. Political instability in the form of...Show moreIn the literature it is argued that economic and political uncertainty induced by political instability has adverse effects on investments of corporations. Political instability in the form of civil wars, political violence and political unrest has long been a factor for companies in deciding whether to continue or discontinue their investments. Although scholars are divided whether uncertainty leads to higher or lower levels of private investment, the majority concur that the latter is more likely in sub-Sahara Africa. However, the case of Heineken N.V. and its subsidiary Bralirwa in Rwanda forms an anomaly in the literature on investment under uncertainty. Despite the outbreak of the Rwandan civil war followed by the Rwandan genocide, Heineken remained active when the mass slaughter was going on. In this thesis, I will analyze the Heineken case by using a neo-classical model based on the option pricing theory where there is an option to shut down operations during uncertainty. I argue that although it is an anomaly for the investment literature, this case can be elucidated with Dunning’s Ownership Location Internalization framework. The results indicate that Heineken remained operational in Rwanda due to ownership and internalization advantages. Furthermore, the case presents evidence against the notion of political instability lowering private investment in sub-Sahara Africa.Show less
