Conflict Mitigation tool

I want to start this discussion by posing a simple question: Is economic development an effective tool for accomplishing other objectives, such as conflict mitigation, or should it be taken on face-value and only used for what it is intended, i.e. restarting economic activiites in any given geographic location where conflict has occurred? As an example, would it be indicated in eastern Congo for the purpose of mitigating the conflict or is that a naive statement?