Insurgency

An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion led by small, lightly armed groups. These groups practice guerrilla warfare against a much larger, well-equipped state adversary. This relationship is described as asymmetric, meaning the two sides have very different levels of power and resources. Unlike traditional armies, insurgents do not typically seek large-scale, direct battles. Instead, they aim to change the existing political order through both military and political means.

The mechanism of an insurgency relies heavily on the relationship between the rebels and the civilian population. Insurgents often blend in with local people, frequently in rural areas, to hide from government forces. A central objective is to achieve control over these civilians. To do this, armed groups may use various methods such as taxation, regulating movement, or providing social services. They may also use dispute resolution or social strictures to manage the community.

Insurgencies can take several forms depending on how many groups are involved. A straightforward insurgency involves a recognized government fighting a rebel group. However, many conflicts are multipolar, meaning they involve two or more simultaneous insurgencies. For example, during the Angolan Civil War, the MPLA and UNITA were the main sides, but the FLEC group also fought for the independence of the Cabinda region. In some cases, like the Somali Civil War from 1998 to 2006, there was no recognized authority at all. In these situations, the country broke into quasi-autonomous smaller states that fought among themselves.

History provides many examples of these complex struggles. Between 1671 and 1711, armed anti-Habsburg rebels known as the kuruc fought in Royal Hungary.

During the American Civil War, the United States dealt with an insurrection from the Confederate States of America. While the Confederacy was not a recognized sovereign state, it was recognized as a belligerent power by several nations. Great Britain granted this status on May 13, 1861, followed by Spain on June 17 and Brazil on August 1. These recognitions allowed Confederate warships to have certain rights in foreign ports.

Because insurgents operate within civilian populations, these conflicts often involve significant violence against non-combatants. Both the state and the insurgents may cause harm to civilians during their struggle for control. This can happen through indiscriminate violence by the state or through rebel control of territory. While some insurgencies incorporate terrorism, they are distinguished from pure terrorist organizations by their political goals. Insurgencies usually field fighting forces that are orders of magnitude larger than those of terrorist groups. They often have an overt political wing and may even provide social services to gain legitimacy.

Political scientists suggest that strong institutions can help prevent insurgencies from turning into civil wars. Researcher Barbara F. Walter argues that institutions can check government power and provide peaceful ways to solve problems. When institutions are strong, they can create an atmosphere where rebels do not feel the need to form militias. However, autocratic governments may resist these institutions because they limit corruption and government privileges. Some people join insurgencies because they seek selective incentives, such as safety or employment. In some cases, the movement provides access to resources that an autocratic regime had previously taken away.

Modern insurgencies are also becoming more complex through transnational involvement. Steven Metz observes that contemporary conflicts are more likely to involve multinational characters than past models. These conflicts may include "third forces," such as militias that affect the outcome, or "fourth forces," such as international media. Even if direct state sponsorship is less common today, sponsorship by transnational groups is more frequent. This nesting of insurgency within weak or failing states creates highly shifting and complex participation.