Can you defeat an insurgency?-2

We need to know what caused the insurgency in the first place, what are their complaints/grievances and what do they want. If you want to invite them to a dialogue then you should as all conflicts can be resolved through dialogue. But you know that a dialogue involves give and take and much compromise on both parties. It is should be the state that should take the most and not compromise on core principles. The state have to make sure that some things would not be compromise for the sake of some illusionary peace that can be threatened by splinter groups or groups that emerge after the peace dialogue have finished. And the main thing is that the state should always negotiate with the position of strength, if it does not than it will be capitulating to the demands of the insurgent and are just surrendering with another name. Once you have identified the causes and complaints and set the stage for dialogue, you need to figure out who are the main opponents and whom you are dealing with. You should have a list of topics to discuss with some topics that be worked out and some is a red line which the state should and must not cross. Once you are dealing with a position of strength you have all the cards in your favor but if you doing it with a position of weakness and a sense of defeatism then you have already lost the battle. You need to know the opponent side's demand and what they would agree on and what they would have their own red line.