This chapter addresses the counter-intuitive phenomenon of high levels of violence in post-peace accord societies. From South Africa to Northern Ireland, Colombia to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the evidence shows that many post-accord societies are at risk of becoming even more violent and insecure than during the war. This ubiquity of post-accord violence raises some important questions: what forms does the violence take; who is responsible for this violence, why does violence continue at such high levels and how does it affect post-war societies? The chapter argues that conditions which arose from both the preceding conflict and the peace process itself are responsible for generating the perpetrators, causes and types of violence which characterise post-accord societies. Continuing high levels of violence after war raises important questions about the quality of the ‘peace’ that is taking root and exposes the failure of many peace accords to progressively transform the daily life of civilians.
Steenkamp, Christina
Department of Social Sciences
Year of publication: 2022Date of RADAR deposit: 2022-01-18
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