The power-sharing literature is paying an increasing attention to the role of third parties in the processes of adoption and implementation of power-sharing agreements. Yet, it has not taken into consideration the coordination of regional and international actors as a critical variable explaining success or failure of third party interventions. The article argues that the coordination of regional and international actors is crucial for both the adoption and long-term sustainability of power-sharing. When international and regional actors are united, they can coordinate pressures on the parties to share power. On the other hand, a lack of international and regional coordination increases the risks that local parties instrumentalize third parties, play one against another, or practice window-shopping. This analysis points to a fundamental dilemma of post-conflict power-sharing. While international coordination is necessary to ensure the sustainability of power-sharing agreements, it is also unlikely to endure over time. The paper investigates these issues conceptually and empirically building the cases of Burundi, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.
