In the context of civil war in Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, the line between “armed actors” and “communities” was porous, creating a situation where peacebuilders spanning these categories in some cases had special access to armed actors for the purposes of negotiation.
Liberal peacebuilding can sideline the agency of local actors, which accounts for widespread resistance, or even failure of these efforts.
Civil resistance— in particular, the creation of peace territories— can be used to resist not only authoritarian regimes but also violence itself.