Understanding Why and How Civilians Resort to Self-Protection in Armed Conflict

Abstract

The absence and limitations of civilian protection efforts have contributed to civilians in conflict zones adopting a variety of strategies to protect themselves from physical violence. These self‐protection efforts have sometimes saved individuals and communities from violence and engendered a level of security. Nonetheless, the civilian protection literature and community have largely underestimated the importance of these self‐protection strategies. This article traces the growth of the civilian protection regime and interrogates the absence of civilian self‐protection therein. It reviews the emerging self‐protection literature and offers a typology of civilian self‐protection strategies. Additionally, this article sheds light on how self‐protection strategies might undermine civilian protection, particularly when they contribute to civilian targeting during armed conflict. It also proposes ways in which this typology can be extended to foster theory building and can inform traditional civilian protection efforts.

Identity, stability, Hybrid Threats and Disinformation

“…They fail to integrate insights into "security as resilience" understood as a bottom-up, citizen-oriented perspective (human security) through citizen agency (Chandler 2012). As well, citizen agency as resilience and trust is inadequately understood (Clark-Kazak 2014, Cavelty, Kaufmann et al 2015, Jose and Medie 2015. Local behavioural patterns in this context are often subtle and relatively passive, and thus risk being overlooked by institutional approaches (Mac Ginty 2010: 403).…”

The Rhetoric and Reality of Localisation: Refugee-Led Organisations in Humanitarian Governance

“…Research has also been undertaken looking at the role of 'civilian self-protection', including by internally displaced populations, in the context of armed conflict (Baines & Paddon, 2012;Jose & Medie, 2015;Kaplan, 2013;Masullo, Mouly, & Garrido, 2019;Suarez, 2017;Sutton, 2018). This work has examined the range of strategies adopted by crisis affected communities when faced with armed conflict or mass atrocities, including through non-engagement (e.g.…”

“…protest, collaboration, or deception), or violent engagement (e.g. self-defence or joining militias or rebel groups) (Jose & Medie, 2015). However, noticeably absent from this literature has been a focus on refugees as local actors in the provision of protection and assistance to other refugees within countries of asylum.…”

Vigilante youths and counterinsurgency in Northeastern Nigeria: the civilian joint task force

“…1. Civilian self-protection may be understood as actions primarily selected and employed by civilians during armed conflict to protect against immediate, direct threats to their physical integrity imposed by militants or military (Jose & Medie, 2015). 2.…”

“…Civilians in armed conflict are generally treated as 'passive victims of manipulations and machinations of powerful forces' (Chingono, 1996, p. 55; see also Kalyvas, 2006;Menkhaus, 2006/7). Available research suggests that civilians are intentionally targeted in most conflicts (Wood et al, 2012), and that civilian self-protection strategies 1 launched by the international community have generally been ineffective (Jose & Medie, 2015). In northeastern Nigeria, especially Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states where the insurgency is most felt, civilians have been preyed upon by both militants and government military.…”