How strength asymmetries shape multi-sided conflicts

Governments and multilateral organisations often attempt to contain or end multisided violent conflicts by supporting one of the conflicting parties. We investigate the (intended and unintended) consequences of strengthening an agent in a multisided conflict. Using a weighted conflict network based on Franke and Öztürk (2015), we study how changing the strength of otherwise symmetric agents creates knock-on effects throughout the network. Increasing an agent’s strength induces a relocation of conflict investments: distant conflicts are carried out more fiercely. In line with previous results, asymmetry reduces aggregate conflict investments. In the case of bipartite networks, with two conflicting coalitions, agents in the coalition of the (now) strong agent face more intense conflicts.