External forces cannot by themselves compel a State to end a civil strife: at some point, domestic actors need to be able to work together to find a way out of the conflict.

There are many reasons why people choose to escalate a conflict, but most often it is a tactic to achieve a certain objective. For example, to ensure a victory or avoid losing, to force a settlement or remain a relevant force, to gain support from patrons or expand one’s status, to seize a strategic advantage or just to punish the adversary and take revenge... [1].

Protracted conflicts are some of the most resistant to third-party interventions. These are conflicts that have withstood the test of time. The dehumanization of the “other” becomes part of the belligerents’ identity and parties lock their positions around solutions that are perceived to be incompatible.  Over time, leaders get hooked on resources and power which takes primacy over the root causes of the conflict.