Fredens lockelser - Om frivillig omvandling från rebellgrupp till parti

Sammanfattning: There are several examples of studies that cover rebel-to-party transformations, yet most only focus on the issue in the context of negotiated peace agreements. This thesis aims to apply theories of insurgency studies combined with strategic analysis of war termination in a comparative case study, to see under what circumstances voluntary rebel-to-party transformation may occur. The cases were selected on a method of agreement design, comparing the similarities of Movimiento Bolivariano Revolucionario-200 of Venezuela and Jaysh al-Mahdi of Iraq. The study found that the two selected cases consequently shared a similar escalation of force from their adversaries, of which they were unlikely to recover. They did initially share some similarities regarding internal organization and support from civilians. Yet, those similarities developed to differ quite distinctly as the process of transformation went on. The thesis therefore concludes that the most significant similarity of voluntary rebel-to-part transformation is the strategic set-back from an overpowering escalation of force from an adversary. From this point, future studies are encouraged to discover other potential variables that could explain when voluntary transformation occurs, and how the issue of internal organization and support from civilians could affect the process of transformation.