Detailed Notes on Mechanisms of Peace and Territorial Disputes

Overview of Lands and Peace Mechanisms

Introduction to Peace and Territories

• Importance of understanding territories in international politics.

Mechanisms for Peace Over Territorial Disputes

• Legal Arbitration: Utilizing legal frameworks to resolve conflicts.
  • Can be domestic or international.
• Third-Party Mediation: Involvement of neutral parties to facilitate negotiations.
• Political Leaders: Role of leadership in fostering dialogues and agreements.
• UN Peacekeeping Missions: Deployment of peacekeepers to maintain order and facilitate agreements.

Case Study: Eritrea and Ethiopia

• Background: 1993 independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia led to border conflicts.
• Conflict over Badme region: Major point of contention.
• Peace Process:
  • Algiers Agreement: Signed in 2000 to cease hostilities.
  • Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC): Established in 2002 to demarcate borders.
  • UN Peacekeeping Mission (UNMEE): Operated until 2008 to stabilize the situation.
  • Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship (2018): Recent agreements to promote peace cooperation.

Key Question Raised

• Focus on what mechanisms contribute to the durability of treaties resolving border disputes.

Wars Over Resources

Case Study: Sierra Leone and Blood Diamonds

• Conflict Period: 1991-2002 characterized by civil war between government and RUF.
• Impact of Diamonds: Resources significantly financed and prolonged conflict.
• Peace Measures:
  • UN Peacekeeping Mission (UNAMSIL): Key to restoring order.
  • Kimberly Process Certification Scheme: Established in 2003 to regulate diamond trade.
  • Mining Community Development Agreements: Reforms to benefit local communities.
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Efforts to heal and restore societal trust.

Key Question Raised

• Exploration of strategies to incorporate environmental restoration into peacebuilding.

Colonial Land Policies

Case Study: South Africa’s Post-Apartheid Land Reform

• Historical Context: Natives Land Act (1913) imposed restrictions on black land ownership.
• Democratic Transition (1994): Initiated significant reforms under ANC leadership.
  • Restitution of Land Rights Act (1994): Aimed to address historic injustices.
  • Successful Settlements: Over 80,000 land claims resolved by early 2020s.

Key Question Raised

• How to approach compensation for land historically acquired through dispossession? Discussions around expropriation with or without compensation.