The seven steps of highly effective counterinsurgents: A new RAND guide
There are seven steps usually seen in negotiating an end to an insurgency, according to a new RAND study, "From Stalemate to Settlement." It looks at Northern Ireland, the Philippines, Lebanon, Western Sahara, Mozambique, Indonesia, Kampuchea, Bosnia, Tajikistan, Burundi, Chechnya, and Congo. Only in one case were the seven steps followed exactly in the sequence ...
There are seven steps usually seen in negotiating an end to an insurgency, according to a new RAND study, "From Stalemate to Settlement." It looks at Northern Ireland, the Philippines, Lebanon, Western Sahara, Mozambique, Indonesia, Kampuchea, Bosnia, Tajikistan, Burundi, Chechnya, and Congo. Only in one case were the seven steps followed exactly in the sequence here, the study says, but "each case unfolded in a manner close enough to this narrative that it is a useful comparative tool for understanding how to reach negotiated settlements."
Those steps are:
Military stalemate Acceptance of insurgents as legitimate negotiating partners Brokered cease-fire (not always respected) Official intermediate agreement Power-sharing offer (or other concession, such as amnesty or elections) Moderation of insurgent leadership Third-party guarantor
There are seven steps usually seen in negotiating an end to an insurgency, according to a new RAND study, "From Stalemate to Settlement." It looks at Northern Ireland, the Philippines, Lebanon, Western Sahara, Mozambique, Indonesia, Kampuchea, Bosnia, Tajikistan, Burundi, Chechnya, and Congo. Only in one case were the seven steps followed exactly in the sequence here, the study says, but "each case unfolded in a manner close enough to this narrative that it is a useful comparative tool for understanding how to reach negotiated settlements."
Those steps are:
- Military stalemate
- Acceptance of insurgents as legitimate negotiating partners
- Brokered cease-fire (not always respected)
- Official intermediate agreement
- Power-sharing offer (or other concession, such as amnesty or elections)
- Moderation of insurgent leadership
- Third-party guarantor
More from Foreign Policy

Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.

So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.

Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.

Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.