Replication Data for: Environmental Change, Governance and the Political Economy of Eco-violence in Sierra Leone and Guinea

Conflict between herders and farmers, termed eco-violence is a persistent issue across West Africa that is often attributed to environmental change and resource scarcity. While eco-violence is widespread across the region, research has largely focused on high-intensity conflict zones such as Nigeria, Mali, and Burkina Faso, leaving low-incidence, low-impact areas underexplored. Consequently, existing academic and policy approaches have achieved limited results in addressing the persistence of eco-violence in the region. This study employs qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (n=21) with key stakeholders in Sierra Leone and Guinea between December 2023 and January 2024. It examines how localised environmental changes, cross-border pastoral movements, and governance structures shape conflict dynamics. The findings reveal that weak enforcement of resource governance, the commercialisation of the livestock economy among key stakeholders and interference in dispute management as a result, coupled with inadequate regional cooperation create conditions for recurring tensions