Preventing conflict  Redrawing borders could help resolve conflict in Africa. Michalopoulos and Papaioannou find "civil conflict intensity, as reflected in war casualties and duration, is approximately 35% higher in areas where partitioned ethnicities reside." Conflict duration is 18.5% higher. [1]  They identify seven different ways in which artificial borders lead to, or intensify conflict;  1, partitioning ethnicities creates irredentist demands  2, partitioning makes an independence movement more likely  3, when borders are not marked the ethnic group has a reason to attempt to change the border  4, patronage politics leads to discrimination against minorities  5, splitting ethnicities encourages smuggling and criminalisation  6, splitting resources that were previously part of an ethnic group’s homeland will leave the ethnic group trying to engineer the resources return  7, partitioning reduces development so increases inequality with and resentment towards the center of the state. [2]  Getting rid of all of these reasons for conflict would help make Africa more peaceful in the long run.  [1] Michalopoulos, 2011, p.22  [2] Michalopoulos, 2011, pp.4-6