New publication from the HD Centre: Engaging with armed groups

Interacting with armed groups is challenging and comes with significant dilemmas and risks for mediators. As primary actors in today’s conflicts, non-state armed groups are also essential participants in peace processes. Mediation practitioners should carefully consider how to deal with them.

In Engaging with armed groups, the latest publication from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (the HD Centre), Teresa Whitfield draws on experience and case studies to provide mediation practitioners with an overview of the challenges associated with engaging with armed groups. She also suggests options for mediators; from early contacts to formal negotiation.

“There is a great variety of armed groups out there, and many benefits to be gained from engaging with them.” said Teresa Whitfield.

“However, such engagement also comes with risks. Engagement will not be appropriate in every case. But when managed carefully and responsibly, its potential benefits far outweigh the costs of not engaging – and letting the conflict takes its toll on civilian victims”. she added.

You will find a short recorded interview with the author in the HD Centre’s first podcast; listen to it online.

Engaging with armed groups is the second in the HD Centre’s Mediation Practice Series, a collection of short publications which seek to provide mediation practitioners with insight into how challenges have been addressed by others in order to help them prepare for the demands of mediation. The series draws on feedback from mediators and their teams and aims to address the lack of adequate reference material and insight into other peace processes available in this field.

The first publication in the series, External actors in mediation, looked at how mediators can respond to the challenges posed by actors such as regional powers, neighbouring states, regional organisations and donor countries. Forthcoming publications will address issues such as the negotiation of ceasefires, managing spoilers in peace processes, and whether or not to involve civil society in peace processes. All the Mediation Practice Series publications are available on the HD Centre’s website.

We value the feedback of practitioners and researchers on the format and content of this publication. If you have any suggestions for improvement, please write to mediationsupport@hdcentre.org