Does political inclusion of rebel parties promote peace after civil conflict?

Michael Christoper Marshall and John Ishiyama have a new article on Does political inclusion of rebel parties promote peace after civil conflict? as part of a special edition of Democratization. 

Does the inclusion of rebel parties into the post-conflict political process help contribute to peace after the end of conflict? In this article we examine whether the transformation of rebel groups into political parties actually leads to the development of a durable peace after a civil war.

Examining the likelihood of recurrence of civil wars in a country and recurrence of conflict in government–rebel group dyads after a settlement, we find that the inclusion and participation of former rebel parties in national government has an important impact on the likelihood of a durable post-settlement peace.

Most importantly, not excluding major rebel parties from access to governing institutions is the most important factor in promoting post-conflict peace.

Good news for Colombia. 

I contributed The Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unit: the long collapse to the special edition on From Bullets to Ballots: The Transformation of Rebel Groups into Political Parties. It's a good edition where we take a variety of perspectives to questions about how civil wars end and what makes successful rebel transitions to political parties. Check it out.