A policy-relevant study of when and how ceasefires lead to peace
Almost all intrastate conflicts involve ceasefire agreements, yet little is known about which factors make a ceasefire effective in stopping violence and ultimately ending intrastate conflict.
Ceasefires explores the complex relationship between the ceasefire and political negotiation processes and examines how they can either reinforce or impede each other. Case studies from the joint perspectives of practitioners and scholars cover conflicts in Bosnia, Burundi, Colombia, Darfur, El Salvador, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sudan North/South, and Syria.
This in-depth analysis of ceasefires offers a unique framework for future mediators and negotiators as well as scholars of the intrastate peace process to enable them to identify a spectrum of potentially acceptable ceasefire agreements and sequencing approaches.
Reviews
"This timely volume reminds us that ceasefires are a necessary but not sufficient part of the broader political process required to bring violent conflict to a sustainable end. Practitioners and academics alike will benefit from finely nuanced case studies and the practical conclusions, especially around sequencing, derived from them."—Teresa Whitfield, former director, Policy and Mediation Division, UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
"This is precisely the book we need right now. Negotiators and scholars join forces to identify when and how ceasefires work to promote peace. As they demonstrate in nine well-structured and comprehensive case studies of contemporary peace processes, ceasefires can be ineffective, even counterproductive, but can also lay the basis for fruitful peace dialogue. An essential read, this will be the standard reference for those seeking to understand peace processes and ceasefires in years to come."—Isak Svensson, Dag Hammarskjöld Professor in Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University
"Ceasefires are pivotal yet understudied components of peace processes. This book fills a crucial gap in our understanding, offering a comprehensive analysis enriched by the firsthand experiences of practitioners. Essential reading for practitioners and scholars alike."—Martin Griffiths, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, United Nations
About the Author
Govinda Clayton, PhD, is a mediation support manager and thematic lead on ceasefires and security arrangements at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Simon J. A. Mason, PhD, heads the Mediation Support Team at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich. Valerie Sticher, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Political Science at the University of Zurich. Andreas Wenger, PhD, is professor of international security policy at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich.
