Post-conflict Reconstruction and the Resurgence of ‘Resolved’ Territorial Conflicts: Examining the DRC Peace Process

Abstract

Beyond the rhetoric of traditional causes of conflicts which intermittently are also at the root cause of African territorial civil conflicts, this article examines why conflict resurges in states where conflict has previously been resolved. From the perspective of two major theoretical frameworks in International Relations: Liberalism and Realism, this article argues that mechanisms for conflict resolution are often short-term and often not home-groomed to accommodate the needs of indigenes emanating from and who are victims of civil war. Liberals argue that this is primarily a failure of cooperation between external and internal actors or stakeholders in the peace process. To them, this lack of cooperation generates economic problems and creates mistrust which is the embryo for conflict resurgence. In contrast, the Realist framework emphasises that conflict resolution fails as a result of a number of factors. The conflict may not have been ripe to be resolved or may have...