Between 'senior brother' and 'overlord': Competing versions of horizontal inequalities and ethnic conflict in Calabar and Warri, Nigeria

Through a comparative analysis of ethnic relations in two multi-ethnic cities in southern Nigeria, this article seeks to isolate factors that might explain why some countries manage to avoid violence in the midst of longstanding ethnic conflicts while ethnic relations in other countries are characterised by periodic violence. The factors isolated include the persistence of horizontal inequalities, absence of mediating social capital, institutionalisation of politics of non-inclusion and construction of indigeneity and homeland discourses. The article explores the interconnections between the different factors. Its main contribution lies in its specification of the contexts in which horizontal inequalities are likely to result in violent ethnic conflicts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.