College of Arts & Sciences

Klea Dhima

College of Arts & Sciences Political Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amelia Hoover Green Politics

Why power-sharing? Rebel group decision-making in Mozambique, Ivory Coast, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A significant literature in political science discusses the outcomes of armed conflicts, specifically their long-term implications for peace. However, the reasons that wars end with power sharing agreements are not fully understood. Why would rebel groups who fight to overthrow a government agree to go to work with, or for, their enemies? In this theory-building paper, I study three rebel groups and examine why each decided to work with the government instead of continuing to fight. In Mozambique, the rebel group Renamo had no choice but to surrender and work closely with the government for reasons such as their supplies running low. In the Ivory Coast, the terms of the peace agreement were more appealing than continuing to fight against the government. Lastly, the main rebel group involved in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had close ties with neighboring countries, and these outside influences had an impact on the group’s decision to work with the DRC’s government officials. Understanding what factors influence power-sharing decisions could limit the duration of civil wars.