Overview

Duration:
01 January 2001 - 31 December 2008

Research Team:
Prof. Dr. Klaus Schlichte (Head of project)
Daria Isachenko
Teresa Koloma Beck
Stefan Malthaner
Astrid Nissen
Katrin Radtke
Jargo Salmon
Dr. Alex Veit

Details

Since the end of World War Two, the majority of major armed conflicts in the world  have been predominantly intra-state conflicts.  However, until recently, political science has not paid much attention to  non-state war actors. This Young Scholar Research Group, active between 2001 and 2008, has used extensive field research in  Sri Lanka, Eritrea, Moldova, Cyprus, Lebanon, Egypt, Angola, DR Congo, Uganda, Serbia, El Salvador and Nicaragua to learn more about the processes of formation of such groups, their organizational life, and their political fates. While  the different contexts lead to a lot of variation, a number of general patterns could be found. Non-state war actors emerge during socio-economic crises, usually out of opposition groups which are violently repressed. The political life of these groups revolves around the contradiction between the need for political recognition and the de-legitimizing effects of their violent actions. Furthermore, non-state armed groups are not really the opposite of the state: states are the main production sites for violence expertise, they are often supported by neighboring states, and succesful armed groups turn into state actors. (Cf. Extended report, available only in German)

Cooperation:
David Keen (LSE)
Roland Marchal, (CERI, Paris)
Marina Blagojevic (Belgrad)
Peter Waldmann (Augsburg)

Funding:
Young Scholar Group-Programme, Volkswagen-Foundation, Hanover

Duration:
01 January 2001 - 31 December 2008

Research Team:
Prof. Dr. Klaus Schlichte (Head of project)
Daria Isachenko
Teresa Koloma Beck
Stefan Malthaner
Astrid Nissen
Katrin Radtke
Jargo Salmon
Dr. Alex Veit

Project Type:
Third party project

Publications