ABSTRACT
The principal means of conflict termination since the end of the Cold War has been negotiated settlement rather than military victory. This is true not only globally (Hartzell and Hoddie 2007: 10), but particularly in Africa, where few wars over the past two decades have ended with an outright military victory. This is remarkable in itself and reflects a new trend: today only between one-fifth and one-third of all wars end in military victory. Yet not all negotiated settlements to violent conflicts are sustainable. Many stakeholders seek to avoid ‘losing the peace’ even at the cost of starting a new war. In response to this challenge, another trend has emerged: in negotiated conflict settlements, power-sharing devices have become more prominent (Mehler 2009).
