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The Logic of Ceasefires in Civil War

The Logic of Ceasefires in Civil War

Author(s): Govinda Clayton, Valerie Sticher
Journal Title: International Studies Quarterly
Publisher(s): Oxford University Press
Publication Year: 2021

Ceasefires play a role in almost all civil war peace processes. Yet existing studies undertheorize the ways in which different logics drive the design of ceasefire agreements, and the effect this has on violence suspension. In this International Studies Quarterly article, CSS’ Govinda Clayton and Valerie Sticher identify different bargaining problems conflict parties face over the course of a conflict, and three classes of ceasefire design they use to address these problems. They argue that the effect of ceasefires is driven both by these underlying logics and by the provisions they contain.