Progress towards peace between the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (Conseil National pour la Défense de la Démocratie-Forces pour la Défense de la Démocratie, CNDD-FDD) dominated government and the FNL has been bumpy, with the FNL periodically withdrawing from negotiations. Furthermore, as this report describes, both the CNDD-FDD and the FNL have also deployed political violence and intimidation against opponents and dissenting voices, even while in talks. By and large these abuses have been committed with impunity, revealing a political culture in which violence and repression is deeply rooted.