ABSTRACT
Non-state armed groups fighting in civil wars often engage in some form of governance—that is, the organization of civilian affairs within the territories where they are present. Both the existence of governance, and the form that it takes, vary widely across as well as within armed organizations. Such variation has important implications on war dynamics, as it shapes civilians’ experiences of the war, as well as the evolution of armed groups in a given war zone. Whether armed groups engage in governance or not, and how, also affects post-war outcomes: the challenges and opportunities that local populations face in the aftermath of war vary depending on, among other factors, the particular ways in which they interacted with armed actors during the war. Despite its relevance for both scholars and policy makers, the phenomenon of non-state armed groups’ governance tends to be overlooked by studies on civil war and post-war reconstruction. This synthesis provides a short review of different bodies of literature that offer insights onto this phenomenon. It is organized as follows. First, it assesses a small literature that focuses directly on armed groups’ governance, mostly rebel organizations. Second, it briefly reviews a large literature on specific civil wars and armed organizations that provide valuable empirical evidence on how this type of governance emerges and operates. Finally, it concludes by suggesting how our understanding of these phenomena should illuminate several academic and policy-driven questions regarding both wartime and post-war dynamics.
Please find the full text of this Synthesis here.