Ceasefires as violent state-building: local truce and reconciliation agreements in the Syrian civil war

Abstract

Ceasefires have long been considered as a means to halt the violence of armed conflict for specific periods of time. This article broadens current understandings of ceasefires by arguing that they not only have the ability to affect violence but can be used as a tool of violent state-building. Through an in-depth examination of two case studies of local ceasefires from the Syrian civil war, Old Homs and Daraya, the paper shows that these types of ceasefires are not only military instruments, but have been used strategically by the Syrian state to violently reassert its authority over property and citizenship rights. Taking this more nuanced view of ceasefires allows us to better understand some of the myriad consequences of how ceasefires play out in practice and can potentially influence the state-building project.