Mediation as a Tool for Conflict Resolution: A Case Study of the Civil War in Liberia

Abstract

The present study deals with mediation as a possible tool for peaceful
conflict resolution. Mediation is a non-violent intervention of a third party in
a conflict. It is aimed at finding a solution to the conflict that would be
acceptable for both sides, which are incapable of finding such a solution on
their own. The existing theoretical frameworks of mediation analyse mainly
its static aspects. Thus the author seeks to analyse its dynamic aspects and
define the necessary conditions which may lead to a peaceful resolution of
a conflict. As an example, the article presents a case study based on the civil
war in Liberia, which lasted more than six years. It took several rounds of
mediation and thirteen signed peace accords until a peace resolution of the
first civil war was finally achieved. Through his qualitative comparative
analysis (QCA) of these peace accords, the author concludes with a general
assessment of mediation for peace resolutions of African conflicts.