“If there is a ceasefire, people know the devil is coming”

Agreeing to a ceasefire that temporarily puts a halt to violence during wartime has generally been considered humanitarian and positive – or at worst, benign. However, as the quote from a local Syrian ceasefire negotiator in the title of this GIGA Talk suggests, an increasing amount of research and first-hand experience show that in fact the consequences of ceasefires can be diverse – and, frequently, not particularly positive.

This GIGA Talk will bring together scholars as well as distinguished practitioners working on this topic to discuss how lessons from Syria and other conflict environments can offer insights and practical strategies regarding how ceasefires should and should not be negotiated in Ukraine.

Speakers: Dr. Rim Turkmani is a Research Fellow at the Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit in the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dr. Marika Sosnowski is a Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies. Commentators: Dr. Benedetta Berti is Head of Policy Planning at NATO. Dr. Bente Scheller is Head of the MENA Division at the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Chair and Moderation: Dr. Christian von Soest is a Lead Research Fellow at the GIGA and Head of the GIGA Research Programme “Peace and Security.”