As peacebuilding organisations multiply and move towards engaging at the local level, a number of challenges emerge. External engagement stifles local leadership, further complicating complex local power relations, and can even create resentment by imposing its own processes. In this sense, too much and misconceived conflict management may actually aggravate the situation. Experience has also shown that while peacebuilding actors are particularly effective at their own level, their leverage at other levels is limited. Village elders, for example, may wield sufficient authority and sanction-power to restrain youthful cattle thieves from carrying out their attacks, but their influence on government policies promoting resettlement to their areas and thus exacerbating land conflicts may be low. National level interest groups and parliamentarians, possibly in coalition with international NGOs, may be better placed to affect such decisions. It is thus crucial for external organisations to work towards a better understanding of the local actors and processes involved in peacebuilding, to support their strengths while complementing areas of weakness. (See Chapter 2, Conflict analysis)