Abstract

This article discusses factors contributing to successful third-party interventions in internal conflicts, dominating the ‘post-cold war’ era as the principal sources of current conflicts. It suggests that peacekeeping is a necessary strategy when violence breaks out between the parties, since without reducing physical violence, it is impossible to manage and resolve the conflict. Yet once peacekeeping introduces a cooling-off period, it must be followed by peace building efforts. The four-step peace building efforts discussed in the article involve helping the parties reach an agreement, monitoring the implementation process, institutional and economic reconstruction, and confidence building, in that order. The study concludes that successful interventions should involve a proper combination of both peacekeeping and peace building.

Key words: Internal conflicts, peacekeeping, peace building, third-party intervention, conflict resolution.