This chapter examines the critical influence of horizontal inequalities on conflict dynamics and international peacebuilding frameworks, with a focus on Côte d’Ivoire. It underscores that entrenched regional, ethnic, and social disparities significantly contribute to political instability and violence. Under President Houphouët-Boigny, state policies deliberately favoured southern regions, marginalising the north and intensifying grievances rooted in economic neglect and political exclusion. The post-Houphouët era revealed how these systemic inequalities became central to conflict, exemplified by the exclusion of northern elites and the politicisation of identity through the evolution of Ivoirité, which constructed formal mechanisms of discrimination against migrant and northern communities. It emphasises that these inequalities are not merely developmental issues but deep political problems, instrumentalised by elites to mobilise support and entrench exclusion. Comparative insights from conflicts in Liberia, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlight the universal relevance of horizontal inequality as a conflict driver. The failure of liberal peacebuilding efforts, which focus predominantly on institutional reforms and electoral processes, is criticised for neglecting the structural roots of conflict. Instead, the chapter advocates systemic, transformative approaches that include equitable land reforms, financial infrastructure expansion, and redistributive policies designed to address root inequalities and promote social cohesion.