Investigating how civil wars end

Abstract: In this session, Dr. Miranda Melcher will present findings from her recently published book Securing Peace in Angola and Mozambique (Bloomsbury, 2024) to investigate and explain how modern civil wars end, or don't. The discussion will draw on newly opened UN archives combined with expert interviews of those who were in the negotiating rooms to compare the peace processes of Angola and Mozambique and explain why one required three treaties to end, while the other just needed one. The discussion will also cover some origins of modern UN peacekeeping and patterns still seen in civil wars and peace negotiations today. 

Bio: Dr. Miranda Melcher earned her PhD and MA from King's College London, and her BA from Yale University. One strand of her research focuses on civil war peace processes and military integration. Dr. Melcher is also a prolific podcast host for the New Books Network and Just Access, interviewing over 700 academics and human rights professionals.