insurgency

Insurgency is a movement that seeks to challenge or overthrow a constituted authority through a combination of political mobilization, propaganda, and irregular armed warfare. It is typically carried out by non-state actors but can involve support from external actors. Insurgencies often aim to undermine the legitimacy of the government, win popular support, and eventually capture or abolish the existing political order.

Characteristics include protracted conflict, clandestine or semi-legal organization, and a mix of military and political activities. Tactics frequently include guerrilla warfare, ambushes, sabotage, assassinations, IEDs, and attempts to influence or co-opt civilian populations by providing services, governance, or propaganda. Insurgents may operate through a decentralized network with local cells and external leadership, while governments respond with counterinsurgency measures that combine security operations, political reforms, and development programs.

Phases are not uniform, but insurgent campaigns typically progress from organization and recruitment to sustained operations intended to erode state authority, to attempts to exercise political influence or take power, which may include negotiations or territorial control.

Legal and ethical: In international law, insurgent groups can become belligerents in an armed conflict and are subject to the laws of armed conflict; civilian protections apply and parties may be held legally accountable for harms caused.

Examples: Insurgencies have emerged in many contexts, including decolonization movements in the mid-20th century, and more recent conflicts in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, and various nationalist or separatist movements.