The Intervention of “Neighbor” Countries in Civil War Peace Negotiations

Abstract

This article examines the intervention behavior of small‐ or medium‐sized neighbor countries in civil war peace negotiations by examining Thailand in the Cambodian peace process and Chad in the negotiations over Darfur, Sudan. The motivations lying behind these neighbors’ initial interventions were their concerns over two issues: the spillover effect of the external conflicts and their limited leverage over the conflicts and peace processes. While both countries changed their intervention strategies, aiming to play more constructive roles, the consequences of the changed strategies were significantly limited by how their new diplomatic strategies were supported and utilized by external mediators.