Browsing by Author "Saxen, Niklas"

This paper studies post-conflict peacebuilding in relation to non-state armed groups, notably insurgencies. Peacebuilding in general refers to long-term policies that have as their end-goal a just and self-sustaining peace. The view taken of peacebuilding here is state-centered: strengthening a legitimate and accountable state is the best way to protect individuals. The focus is on outside intervention. Also, security is a key concept. The framework advances by 1.) analysing the nature of the problem and the main security threats to peace posed by non-state armed groups, and 2.) examines the current policy-options to these problems, and sees what is effective and what is problematic. The assumption is that there is a common model of peacebuilding, that is not necessarily effective. This is referred to as 'rule-of-thumb peacebuilding. This paper uses literature review as its methods. A number of different types of sources were chosen: theoretical literature on conflicts and peacebuilding including statistical and qualitative research, articles by authoritative experts on each subject, policy handbooks by experts, lessons learned reports, as well as commissioned evaluations. Non-state armed groups are analyzed through their means (capacity) and end-goals. Gangs, organized crime, paramilitary groups, private military companies and insurgencies are examined. While all of these contest the monopoly of violence of the state, only insurgencies pose an existential threat both with respect to its means and end-goals. Yet one of the central findings is that non-state armed groups today have converging interests, and thanks to globalization new weaker but more resilient forms of insurgency emerge relatively easily. These groups can have an interest in the continuation of conflict. Of the different policy-option, I analyze DDR, conflict resolution methods, monitoring, arms control measures, sanctions, counterinsurgency and the pros and cons of interventions in general. Generally, policies could be differentiated between ones that focused on the existing armed group, and ones that focus on changing the environment that enabled them to come about. Key problems found with the commonly applied methods of peacebuilding, or 'rule-of-thumb' peacebuilding, were related to power-sharing arrangements and elections, as well as the attention given to short-term results. Additionally, a longer presence of outside monitoring of the peace process would seem to enhance the sustainability of post-conflict peace. Finally, interventions themselves can also be problematic: they can spread corruption and weaken the connection between the government and the people.