An insurgency group aims to overthrow a state and replace it with a new government by conducting violent operations against government forces. These operations include armed resistance, insurgent attacks, and other strategies, such as political and economic development programs, which aim to address grievances and gain support from the public.
Unlike guerrillas, insurgent groups seek not to capture territory but rather to create an alternative power structure that can address local grievances and compete with the existing regime. They also often target private civilians in addition to military and government personnel. This type of warfare is known as a hybrid war.
Insurgents face two major challenges: attracting a large enough core insurgent population to carry out violence, and building a broader base of support that can fund and sustain an ongoing insurgency. While it may be tempting for an insurgent leader to threaten the state militarily, this strategy is generally not a sustainable long-term solution. The odds of success are low, and insurgents may be decimated before they can achieve their goals.
The most successful insurgents adopt a range of tactics to reduce the cost of their campaign. These efforts include border security, negotiated settlements, and development initiatives that encourage insurgents to participate in the political process.
The authors use extensive interviews to explore how and why insurgents choose their methods of warfare. They divide armed groups into those with’movement’, ‘insurgent’, and’state splinter’ origins. Those with’state splinter’ origins are likely to be more closed and less collaborative with other armed groups than those of’movement’ or ‘insurgent’ origins.