Talking to Groups that Use Terror.pdf - United States Institute of Peace

Step 6Protect the Process from theEffects of ViolenceRecognize the Inevitability of ViolenceViolence during the negotiations is inevitable. If the mediator does a goodjob of facilitating the talks and the parties end up discussing a peaceagreement, spoiler groups will use violence in an effort to derail themovement toward settlement. If, by contrast, the talks are riddled withangry exchanges and denunciations and lead nowhere, one or moreparties will use violence in the streets to express its frustration or seek toforce concessions from its counterpart at the bargaining table.Not only is violence inevitable, it is also highly likely that the level ofviolence will intensify during negotiations. It will grow for numerousreasons: discipline among the ranks of fighters on all sides will decay inthe absence of “hot” war; former full-time combatants have yet to beintegrated into the state’s forces or reintegrated into society and still retaintheir weapons; the security forces may be reducing their presence on thestreet as agreed in the ongoing negotiations; or, paradoxically, members ofthe public feel safe enough to return to the streets and vent their fears andanimosities, participating in demonstrations that may turn into riots.Whatever the source and form of the violence, the mediator ornegotiator must limit its impact on the peace process if that process is tocontinue. Even robust processes can be undone by persistent outbreaks ofviolence, and fragile processes can collapse when buffeted by a singleincident. The most effective tools with which to protect the process fromthe effects of violence are a sense of proportion, a clearly understoodsystem of investigating and punishing violations of commitments, and the85