Stockholm University
Department of Political Science
Master thesis
June 2009

UNITED NATIONS PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION
- Towards a New Paradigm for Conflict Resolution?

Author: Elin Bengtsson
bengtssonelin@spray.se


ABSTRACT

Since the beginning of the 90s peacekeeping interventions have increased but only few
conflicts have been resolved. This thesis argues that the possibility for conflict resolution
depends on our definition of peace, on the application of suitable methods and by adopting an
appropriate approach to every specific conflict. However, most crucial is to adopt a positive
definition of the very concept of peace. This theoretical framework presents the main critique
of current peacebuilding and proposes recommendations for a new peacebuilding paradigm.
These provide for a set of ideal types that will function as a strainer when analysing the
material that consists of conflict analyses and policy documents. A case study on the United
Nations Peacebuilding Commission will be limited to interventions by the international
community on three field sites: Mozambique, Somalia and Burundi. A positive example
(Mozambique) underlines the validity of the relation between variables, that is ‘the signing of a
peace agreement’ together with ‘an adequate peacebuilding response’ will result in ‘lasting
peace’. A negative example (Somalia) shows the absence of ‘lasting peace’ where there only is a
‘signing of a peace agreement’ but a lack of ‘an adequate peacebuilding response’. In the light
of this analysis the third example Burundi is examined according to the theoretical framework.
The analysis shows that the Peacebuilding Commission for Burundi rather well corresponds to
the recommendations for a new adequate peacebuilding response. However, since the Burundi
Commission only is at an initial stage, it is far to soon to evaluate the outcomes. Nevertheless,
the Peacebuilding Commission appear to be a product of the reform of the United Nations
focusing on prevention and an initiative that presents valuable insight for a peacebuilding
response aiming at promoting durable peace.


ABBREVIATIONS

AMIB African peacekeeping mission in Burundi
AMISOM African Union Mission to Somalia
ARS Liberation Front Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia
AU African Union
BBC British Broadcasting Company
BINUB Bureau Intégré des Nations Unies au Burundi (United Nations Integrated Office
in Burundi)
CIA Central Intelligence Agency
CNDD National Council for the Defence of Democracy
CSMN Military Committee for National Salvation
DDR Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration
DPKO United Nations Department for Peacekeeping Operations
DRC Democratic Republic of Congo
FDD Forces for the Defense of Democracy
FDN Forces de Défense Nationale (National Defence Force)
FNL Forces Nationales de Libération (National Liberation Front)
FRELIMO Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Liberation Front of Mozambique)
FRODEBU Hutu Front for Democracy in Burundi
ICG International Crisis Group
IGAD Inter-governmental Authority on Development
IMF International Monetary Fund
IO International Organisation
IPBS Integrational Peacebuilding Strategy
ISCG International Somalia Contact Group
LAS League of Arab States
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
NGO Non-governmental Organisation
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
ONUMOZ United Nations Operations in Mozambique
PBC Peacebuilding Commission
PBF Peacebuilding Fund
PBSO Peacebuilding Support Office
PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
RENAMO Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (Mozambican National Resistance)
SICC Supreme Islamic Courts Council
Sida Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
SSR Security Sector Reform
TFG Transitional Federal Government
UD Utrikesdepartementet (Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
UIC Union of Islamic Courts
UN United Nations
UNOHAC United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance Coordination
UNPOS United Nations Political Office for Somalia
UPRONA Union pour le Progrès National (Union for National Progress)
US United States of America
USIP United States Institute of Peace


CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7
1. INTRODUCTION 8
1.1. Background ................................................................................................................................... 8
1.2. Research problem ........................................................................................................................ 8
1.3. Purpose and research question ................................................................................................... 9
1.4. Method ....................................................................................................................................... 10
Case study .................................................................................................................................... 10
Analytical tools & framework .................................................................................................... 11
Selection & Material ................................................................................................................... 13
Research strategy ........................................................................................................................ 14
Structure ...................................................................................................................................... 14
2. A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR PEACEBUILDING 16
2.1. The rise, design, change & decline of institutions ................................................................... 16
How can we best understand the process of UN reform? ...................................................... 16
How can the institutionalisation and design of collective security be described?.............. 16
How can the development and change within the UN system be explained?..................... 17
How can the UN’s peacebuilding role best be enhanced? ..................................................... 17
2.2. Defining conflict resolution ..................................................................................................... 18
Multiple approaches to conflict resolution.............................................................................. 18
Methods for conflict resolution ................................................................................................ 19
UN post-settlement peacebuilding........................................................................................... 20
2.3. Critique of current peace building paradigm .......................................................................... 21
State-centric top-down approach ............................................................................................. 22
External intervention ................................................................................................................. 22
Short time-frame for negative peace ........................................................................................ 22
A western perspective ................................................................................................................ 23
Politico- military focus ............................................................................................................... 23
2.4. Towards a new peacebuilding paradigm ................................................................................. 23
Multi-track diplomacy ............................................................................................................... 24
Local empowerment ................................................................................................................... 25
Long-term process for positive peace ....................................................................................... 25
Cultural sensitivity ..................................................................................................................... 26
Psycho-social approach for transformation ............................................................................. 26
3. ILLUSTRATING UN PEACEBUILDING 28
3.1. From violent conflict to peace .................................................................................................. 28
Background & conflict dynamics .............................................................................................. 28
Negotiations & peace agreement .............................................................................................. 28
Implementation & lasting peace ............................................................................................... 29
3.2. Somalia Conflict Analysis......................................................................................................... 30
Background & conflict dynamics .............................................................................................. 30
Negotiations & peace agreement .............................................................................................. 32
Implementation & lasting peace ............................................................................................... 34
3.3. Mozambique Conflict Analysis ................................................................................................ 36
Background & conflict dynamics .............................................................................................. 36
Negotiations & peace agreement .............................................................................................. 37
Implementation & lasting peace ............................................................................................... 38
3.4. Weaknesses and Strengths in UN Peacebuilding ................................................................... 39
State-centric top-down approach vs. Multi-track diplomacy ................................................ 39
External intervention vs. Local empowerment ....................................................................... 40
Short time-frame for negative peace & vs. Long-term process for positive peace .............. 40
Western perspective vs. Cultural sensitivity ........................................................................... 41
Politico- military focus vs. Psycho-social approach for transformation ............................... 41
4. THE BURUNDI PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION 43
4.1. Burundi Conflict Analysis ......................................................................................................... 43
Background & conflict dynamics .............................................................................................. 43
Negotiations & peace agreement .............................................................................................. 45
Implementation & lasting peace ............................................................................................... 46
4.2. UN Peacebuilding Commission for Burundi ........................................................................... 47
PBC Architecture ........................................................................................................................ 47
PBC Burundi ................................................................................................................................ 48
PBC Burundi Strategic Framework ........................................................................................... 48
4.3. PBC Burundi Policy Documents .............................................................................................. 49
Multi-track diplomacy ............................................................................................................... 49
State-centric top down approach.............................................................................................. 51
Local empowerment ................................................................................................................... 51
External intervention ................................................................................................................. 52
Long-term process for positive peace ....................................................................................... 53
Short time-frame for negative peace ........................................................................................ 54
Cultural sensitivity ..................................................................................................................... 54
Western perspective ................................................................................................................... 56
Psycho-social approach for transformation ............................................................................. 56
Politico- military focus ............................................................................................................... 58
5. CONCLUDING REMARKS 59
5.1. Summary .................................................................................................................................... 59
5.2. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 60
5.3. Future implications................................................................................................................... 61
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY 63
6.1. Literature ...................................................................................................................... 63
6.2. Electronic sources ........................................................................................................ 67
6.3. Policy documents ......................................................................................................... 68
APPENDIX : ABBREVIATIONS 70


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to Bertil Nygren and Jonas Tallberg at the Department for
Political Science at Stockholm University, for important feedback during the entire working
process.

I am also most grateful to the valuable insights and advice provided by Professors Jack E
Spence and Mervyn Frost, as I started this research project in 2005 at the War Studies
Department at King’s College London.

I highly appreciate the interesting discussions that I have had with Elisabet Hedin from Sida,
Anna Hällerman and Silvija Tolomanoska from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as
well as Mats Hårsmar from the Nordic Africa Institute. You have all provided important advice
on policy material.

I would in particular like to extend my thanks to Jan Henningsson, also at the Swedish
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, for his engagement, support and always very wise input. I am also
very grateful to other fellow colleges and friends for their valuable insights, in particular to
Julia Hector and Jean-Paul Small for their thorough proofreading.

Finally, I must express my deepest appreciation to my family and in particular to my father
Anders Bengtsson, who in his work as a psychoanalyst, never cease to emphasise that patience
and long term engagement is essential for true change. At the end of the day, this is relevant
for all types of conflict resolution, at the individual micro level as well as in peacebuilding.