Managing 'Spoilers' in Peace Negotiations: Revisiting Sierra Leone's 1996 Abidjan Peace Process

The Sierra Leone civil war (1991–2002) was marked by extensive bloodshed, political turmoil, and significant human rights violations. The 1996 Abidjan Peace Accord, despite being a first effort to resolve the conflict, ultimately failed due to spoilers who sabotaged the peace process for their own limited political and economic gains. Nevertheless, limited research has examined the effective management of spoilers in peace negotiations, especially in contexts where economic incentives influence conflict behaviour. The main objective of this qualitative case study is to investigate spoiler behaviour during the Abidjan Peace Process, focusing specifically on the economic incentives that trigger it. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 40 participants recruited through purposive and snowball sampling, and were analysed thematically using an inductive approach. The data indicate a robust relationship between economic goals and spoiler activities, illustrating how access to economic benefits incited opposition to the Accord. The analysis reveals the shortcomings of prevention-centred approaches and underscores the need for adaptive strategies to manage spoilers in negotiations. These findings indicate that peace processes should adopt inclusive negotiation frameworks and proactive management techniques to mitigate the impact of spoilers. Moreover, the study advances theoretical discussions of spoilers while offering pragmatic insights for peacebuilding in Sierra Leone and other fragile or conflict-affected environments.