This book helps explain how and why there are such diverging outcomes of UN peace negotiations and treaties through a detailed examination of peace processes in the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Does it really matter what's written on page 36, protocol V, section III, point 5 of a UN-endorsed peace treaty? Dr. Miranda Ruwart Melcher shows that seemingly small details - such as who wears suits, who has toothbrushes, and how specific words are translated between French and English - can and have delayed peace or contributed to restarting wars.
Dr. Melcher uses unique primary source data, including interviews with key actors who have participated in peace treaty negotiations, as well as thousands of previously newly opened UN documents. She argues that treaty specificity is an undervalued - but important - factor in researching the success or failure of peace processes. The book offers new insights and policy recommendations for key details whose presence or absence can have a significant impact on how peace processes unfold.
By:
Dr Miranda Melcher (King's College London UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: NIPPOD
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781350407961
ISBN 10: 1350407968
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 16 October 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction, Methodology, and Literature Review Chapter 2: The Angolan and Mozambican Civil Wars Chapter 3: Towards Peace: The Angolan Bicesse Accords and the Mozambican Rome Agreement Chapter 4: Diverging Paths: Failed Peace in Angola & Progress in Mozambique Chapter 5: Peace at last: Ending Angola’s War and Reconstructing Mozambique Chapter 6: Treaty Writing and Implementation of Post-Conflict Military Integration: Discussion & Conclusions Bibliography Index
Miranda Ruwart Melcher received her PhD in Defence Studies from King’s College London. She received her MA in Intelligence and International Security from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, and her BA in Political Science from Yale University.
Reviews for Securing Peace in Angola and Mozambique: The Importance of Specificity in Peace Treaties
This book focuses on the fundamental questions of how to make peace and make sure that it holds. Miranda Ruwart Melcher patiently dissects two peace processes to glean important lessons on the need for specificity in peace process provisions rather than deferring difficult decisions to a later stage. This book represents a great addition to the Peace and Conflict Studies literature. It is highly recommended. -- Roger Mac Ginty, Durham University, UK
