VIOLENT NON-STATE ACTORS (VNSA) Lucie Konečná B S S b 1105 International Security Policy 30/9/2024 VNSA - General Info • Primary, secondary, and tertiary conflict actors • Interstate, Intrastate and Non-state/Sub-state conflicts • Violent Non-State Actors: a) use violence to achieve their goals b) are not integrated within formalized state structures • Violence that involves violent non-state actors is often described as unconventional • Violent non-state actors involved in a low-intensity conflict may prefer the status quo over negotiation and mediation because their power is much lower Typology of War Participants • 1. Members of the armed forces according to international law: - Combatants - members of regular or irregular armed forces - Non-combatants - not intended for combat duties (medics, clerics). 2. Civilians • Real fighters in modern wars: a) Conventional soldiers/army b) Insurgents, guerrillas and rebels/partisans c) Terrorists d) Mercenaries, PSC/PMC e) Foreign volunteers f) Warlords g) Child soldiers h) Paramilitary units and death squads i) Militias j) Marauders Factors Affecting the Rise of VNSA • End of Cold War and the emergence of a globalized world and modern technologies • Socioeconomic factors and absence of goods • Repressive politics • Poverty and income inequality • Weakness of security institutions • State collapse • Individual explanations (rural vs. urban, age, education, socio-economic status, unemployment, socio-psychological level) VNSA Typology according to Williams • Insurgency • Militia • Paramilitary units • Terrorist groups • Warlords • Criminal organizations and gangs • Motivations and purpose • Strength and scope • Funding and access to resources • Organizational structure • Role of violence • Relationship between VNSA and state • Functions of VNSAs for members and supporters VNSA Typology according to Ezrow • Insurgencies • Warlords and Marauders • Paramilitary units • Terrorist Organizations • Private military companies • Organized crime and gangs • Motivation • Strategy and tactics • Funding and access to resources • Organizational structure • Scope and power • Victims • Legitimacy and popularity Table 111,1 Types of Violent Non-state Actors and their Key Characteristics Key group Legitimacy Strategy and threatened/ Orga n 1 zati o rial Scope and and Motivation tactics •.• • In-: Structure power1 popularity • e f,n U ' afate Political gel Provide State 1 r;l ii v very High uí> & Sl&le Services OnQariitOd: powerful L legitimacy and armed hierarchical territorial defence; hold control ler ' ilOi y Půlit 1 1 PoUdoafc FVOvide p*My H1:-iCr> 1 i-:l il v- Somewhat Higii C i r g í i n i j ř i l i o n v influence platform ; lywcrfi il legitimacy; . . i i n i i i i : policy and armed hierarchical public wings defence suppei 1 li i M U Lji..'i icy Půlilleal: Mostly armed ..:.i\. and Somewhat Somewhat Some V.l\ ll!r= CO H I i»oI hold SOCiOly pOwerfuU legitimacy territory some somewhat territorial hierarchical C I II il -ol Terror Political; Engage Society Tightly Not Lirlle organ izal i on varies trie media; organized: powerful legitimacy psychological somewhat l A r a r l a r e , hill hierarchical Civilians Terror Poimcal: Engage Society Cellular/loose; Met Little network amorphous the media; sornewhal powerful legitimacy psychological hierarchical 11111 r i: KJM civilians Marauding economic/ Loot and Society Loose Not Little r a be is opportunistic pillage, k i l l (stale powerful: legitimacy civilians may have temporary already control of collapsed) some towns or villages Economic/ Loot and 1 ! , Somewh&i Somewhat Lima opportunistic i. i. i • (stale organized fjiywcrfi il: legitimacy predation may have around some already chartsmaTrc control over collapsed) Vuai'lord territory • I. | : Economic/ Corruption, Tightly Very LftfJa crime opportunistic crime and society, organized: powerful; legitimacy violence individuals formerly some hierarchical. territorial now i . i i . • ! i | l l l l ! N ! pl hierarchy influence; may control transactions and flows of goods Gong Economic/ Petty crime Individuals Sornewhal Not Little opportunistic and violence and society looae; powerful but legitimacy sornewhal he coming hierarchical more dangerous P S C Economic/ Gun-for-hire; State, other Tightly Somew Pal Little opportunistic earn profit violent non- • ICjar IZ<:L; powerful legitimacy an..• does liability " O l d Afric» Center for Strategic Studies Warlordism Primarily economically motivated violence Strong territorial character Hierarchical structure - headed by a charismatic leader A threat especially to weak states Strategy - marauding terror, unpredictable and random violence Summary Points • Warlords and rebels emerge in stales that are failing or have collapsed; they emerge in post-conflict zones. • Warlords and rebels offer few political benefits and mostly prey on their populations. • Warlords and rebels undermine state legitimacy but have no ability to administer. • Warlords and rebels create tremendous security and instability though they claim to offer protection. • Warlords and rebels have an interest in prolonging a low-intensity conflict to lake advantage of the war economy. Organized Crime and Gangs Economic motivation Often transnational Hierarchical and network structure ..Organized criminal group' shall mean a structured group of three or more persons, existing for a period of time and acting in concert with the aim of committing one or more serious crimes or offences established in accordance with this Convention, in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit." Strategy - use of violence to achieve economic goals, attempt to avoid media attention, violence especially in times of uncertainty The effort to subvert the structures of the state - they do not want to completely destroy the state c & . 3 Summary Points • Organized criminal groups are capable and complex organizations. • Gangs have evolved and become much more violent and powerful, but they are not as sophisticated as organized criminal groups. • While gang members are incredibly young and seek out gangs due to a need for camaraderie, organized criminals are often older and more skilled. Organised Crime - Definition • O C G defining characters according to Šmíd: a) hierarchical structure/organisation b) business continuity c) corruption d) violence e) illegal activity f) penetrating economic markets g) membership exclusivity h) non-ideological • Mafia - type of OCG, arbitration of disputes/illicit agreements between criminals, political dimension. • Gang - territorial character, less sophisticated methods and activities. • Syndicate - illegal businesses on a larger, also international scale. Typology of Organized Crime Groups UNODC defining features: structure, size, activities, level of transborder operations, identity, level of violence, use of corruption, political influence, penetration into the legitimate economy and level of cooperation with other organizations. A) Standard Hierarchy B) Regional hierarchy Single leader Clearly defined hierarchy Strong syitems of internal discipline K n o w n by a specific name Ofieri strong social or ethnic identity Violence essential to activities Often have clear influence or control over defined territory Single leadership structure Line o f command from centre Degree o f autonomy at regional level Geographic/regional distribution Multiple activities Often strong social or ethnic identity Violence essential to activities Typology of Organized Crime Groups C) Clustered Hierarchy D) Core group • Consists o f a number o f criminal groups Governing arrangement for the groups present Cluster has stronger identity than constituent groups Degree of autonomy for consumer groups Formation strongly linked to social/historical context Relatively rare E) Criminal network Defined by activities of key individuals Prominence in network determined by contacts/skills Personal loyal ties.'ties more important than social/ethnic identities Network connections endure, coalescing around series of criminal projects L o w public profile - seldom known by any name Network reforms al\er exit of key individuals Core group surrounded by a loose network Limited number of individuals Tightly organized flat structure Small size maintains internal discipline Seldom has social or ethnic identity Only in a limited number of cases known by a specific name Global Organized Crime IndexMeasurement and Typology Scoring thresholds - criminality FIGURE 1.1 Criminality indicators CAZ CA3 Criminal Actors A CAT. Mafia-style groups A CA2. Criminal networks A CA3. State-embedded actors A CA4. Foreign actors Criminal Markets • CMl. Human trafficking • CM2. Human smuggling • CM3. Arms trafficking <*• CM4. Flora crimes • CMS. Fauna crimes • CMS. Non-renewable resource crimes • CM7. Heroin trade CM8. Cocaine trade <•> CM9. Cannabis trade • CMIO. Synthetic drug trade 1 2 3 4 5 NON-EXISTENT TO LITTLE INFLUENCE MODERATE INFLUENCE Criminal m a r k e t s • CMl. Human trafficking • CM2. Human smuggling • CM3. Extortion and protection racketeering ••• CM4. Arms trafficking ••• CMS. Trade in counterfeit goods CMC. Illicit trade in excisable goods CM7. Flora crimes • CMS. Fauna crimes • CM9. Mon-renewable resource crimes • CM10. Heroin trade • CM11. Cocaine trade • CM12. Cannabis trade CM13. Synthetic drug trade CM14. Cyber-dependent crimes • CM15. Financial crimes Private Military Companies Economic motivation Territoriality is related to the type of task/contract Hierarchical structure Strategy - they do not have long-term strategies, it always depends on the contract Can threaten the state's monopoly on the use of violence, ineffective as a longterm solution Executive Outcomes, Blackwaters/Academi, Wagner Group United Nations Mercenary Convention 2001 (The convention extends on the Geneva Conventions Protocol I which in Article 47(1) states that a mercenary cannot be a lawful combatant or prisoner of war) Mercenaries: foreigner, independence - not a member of the army, economic motivation, obscure recruitment, short-term/ad hoc tasks, engaged in combat Military Providing Firms, Military Consulting Firms, Military Supporting Firms United Nations Mercenary Convention Global Powers That Have Signed Paramilitary units vs. Pro-government militia • Organized groups that operate alongside or in support of formal military forces, often composed of civilians or former military personnel. They are typically structured similarly to military organizations and may engage in combat, security operations, or law enforcement activities. While they may support state objectives, their operations can sometimes fall outside the jurisdiction of conventional military law, leading to varied levels of oversight and accountability. • Typology of Pro-government militias: Competition, Provider and Emergency. Paramilitary Forces PGMs Government link Official Semi-Official, Informal Functions Regular and Irregular Activities Rather Irregular Activities Autonomy Low i ^ B H i g h H Example National Gendarmerie, France Janjaweed, Sudan Thank you for your attention