Inside Rebellion: The Politics Of Insurgent Violence (cambridge Studies In Comparative Politics)

Some rebel groups abuse noncombatant populations, while others exhibit restraint. Insurgent leaders in some countries transform local structures of government, while others simply extract resources for their own benefit. In some contexts, groups kill their victims selectively, while in other environments violence appears indiscriminate, even random. This book presents a theory that accounts for the different strategies pursued by rebel groups in civil war, explaining why patterns of insurgent violence vary so much across conflicts. It does so by examining the membership, structure, and behavior of four insurgent movements in Uganda, Mozambique, and Peru. Drawing on interviews with nearly two hundred combatants and civilians who experienced violence firsthand, it shows that rebels' strategies depend in important ways on how difficult it is to launch a rebellion. The book thus demonstrates how characteristics of the environment in which rebellions emerge constrain rebel organization and shape the patterns of violence that civilians experience. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Figures......Page 13 Maps......Page 14 List of Abbreviations......Page 15 Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 17 Inside Rebellion......Page 23 Lukumbi Village, Uganda, 1981......Page 25 Maringue Village, Mozambique, 1979......Page 27 The Puzzle......Page 28 The Mechanisms......Page 31 Civil War, Violence, and Organization......Page 40 Structure and Agency......Page 44 Looking Ahead......Page 46 Part I The Structure of Rebel Organizations......Page 49 1 The Industrial Organization of Violence......Page 51 Common Principles......Page 52 Divergent Practices......Page 56 Theories of Rebellion: The Puzzling Absence of Organization......Page 58 Organizing Violence......Page 63 Five Challenges of Rebel Organization......Page 66 Constraints on Strategy......Page 69 The Origins of Constraints......Page 74 Research Design and Data......Page 77 The National Resistance Army, Renamo, and Sendero Luminoso......Page 79 The Data......Page 82 2 Four Rebel Organizations......Page 85 The National Resistance Army: 27 Young Men......Page 86 Renamo: The Gift of External Patronage......Page 95 Sendero Luminoso Nacional: A Decade of Preparation......Page 105 Sendero Luminoso-Huallaga: On the Other Side of the Mountains......Page 113 Examining Rebels' Choices......Page 119 3 Recruitment......Page 120 Participation in Rebellion......Page 121 Endowments, Information, and Recruitment......Page 124 A Theory of Rebel Recruitment......Page 127 Recruitment in Practice......Page 131 Ethnic Appeals and Community Ties: The NRA......Page 132 From Voluntarism to Violence: Renamo......Page 135 Spreading Ideology: Sendero Luminoso Nacional......Page 140 A Coalition of Cocaleros: Sendero–Huallaga......Page 146 Conclusion......Page 149 4 Control......Page 151 The Rationale for Organization......Page 152 The Structure of Organization......Page 153 How Important Is Hierarchy?......Page 157 Rebel Strategies......Page 159 Formal and Informal Codes of Conduct: The NRA......Page 164 Centralization and Distrust: Renamo......Page 169 Decentralization and the Guiding Line: Sendero Luminoso Nacional......Page 173 The Consequences of Autonomy: Sendero-Huallaga......Page 179 Conclusion......Page 182 Part II The Strategies of Rebel Groups......Page 185 5 Governance......Page 187 Variations in Rebel Governance......Page 188 The Challenges of Rebel Governance......Page 191 Creating Trust......Page 192 What Rebel Groups Do......Page 193 Why Don't All Groups Strike a Bargain?......Page 195 Making Government Inclusive......Page 196 Organizing the Food Supply......Page 198 Mobilizing a Grassroots Democracy: The NRA......Page 199 Resurrecting Traditional Authorities: Renamo......Page 205 An Alternative to Elite Democracy: Sendero Luminoso Nacional......Page 210 Authoritarianism and Inclusion: Sendero-Huallaga......Page 216 Conclusion......Page 219 6 Violence......Page 222 Defining Violence in Civil War......Page 223 Organization and Violence......Page 227 Contestation and Control......Page 232 The Practice of Violence Across Countries......Page 234 Violence within Civil War......Page 241 A War of Targeted Assassinations: The NRA......Page 243 A Campaign of Brutality: Renamo......Page 253 Patterns of Restraint and Excess:Sendero Luminoso Nacional......Page 263 Free from Central Control: Sendero–Huallaga......Page 275 Conclusion......Page 282 7 Resilience......Page 284 Shocks and Expectations......Page 285 How Organizations Respond......Page 287 Expulsion and Reemergence: The NRA......Page 289 Resistance and Continued Repression: Renamo......Page 294 Facing Down the Government: Sendero Luminoso Nacional......Page 299 A Changing Local Economy: Sendero-Huallaga......Page 303 Sources of Organizational Change......Page 306 A Switch from Self-Reliance: UNITA......Page 307 Under the Influence: The FARC......Page 311 Drawing Lessons......Page 316 Conclusion......Page 319 Part III Beyond Uganda, Mozambique, and Peru......Page 321 8 Extensions......Page 323 Endowments and Recruitment in Other Contexts......Page 325 Explaining Patterns of Violence across Civil Wars......Page 329 Learning from Outliers......Page 335 Algeria, 1962-1964......Page 336 Algeria, 1992-2000......Page 339 Colombia, 1948-1963......Page 342 Lebanon, 1975-1991......Page 346 9 Conclusion......Page 351 The Curse of Resource Wealth......Page 352 Implications for the Study of Civil War and Insurgency......Page 363 Implications for Policy Makers......Page 365 Naming and Shaming......Page 368 Sanctions as a Source of Leverage......Page 370 Formal Instruments of Accountability......Page 372 Looking Forward......Page 374 Appendix A The Ethnography of Rebel Organizations......Page 375 Distinct Challenges of Ethnography......Page 378 The Research Method......Page 380 Conclusion......Page 388 Appendix B Database on Civil War Violence......Page 390 Structure......Page 391 Biases and Limitations......Page 392 Conclusion......Page 394 A. Dealing with the Public......Page 395 B. Relationships among the Soldiers......Page 396 Appendix D Norms of Behavior for a Sendero Luminoso Commander......Page 399 Index......Page 401 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 List of Figures, Tables, and Maps 13 Figures 13 Tables 14 Maps 14 List of Abbreviations 15 Preface and Acknowledgments 17 Inside Rebellion 23 Introduction: Varieties of Rebellion 25 Lukumbi Village, Uganda, 1981 25 Maringue Village, Mozambique, 1979 27 The Puzzle 28 The Argument 31 The Mechanisms 31 Civil War, Violence, and Organization 40 Structure and Agency 44 Looking Ahead 46 Part I The Structure of Rebel Organizations 49 1 The Industrial Organization of Violence 51 Organizers of Revolution 52 Common Principles 52 Divergent Practices 56 Theories of Rebellion: The Puzzling Absence of Organization 58 Organizing Violence 63 Five Challenges of Rebel Organization 66 Constraints on Strategy 69 The Origins of Constraints 74 Research Design and Data 77 The National Resistance Army, Renamo, and Sendero Luminoso 79 The Data 82 2 Four Rebel Organizations 85 The National Resistance Army: 27 Young Men 86 Renamo: The Gift of External Patronage 95 Sendero Luminoso Nacional: A Decade of Preparation 105 Sendero Luminoso-Huallaga: On the Other Side of the Mountains 113 Examining Rebels' Choices 119 3 Recruitment 120 Participation in Rebellion 121 Endowments, Information, and Recruitment 124 A Theory of Rebel Recruitment 127 Recruitment in Practice 131 Ethnic Appeals and Community Ties: The NRA 132 From Voluntarism to Violence: Renamo 135 Spreading Ideology: Sendero Luminoso Nacional 140 A Coalition of Cocaleros: Sendero–Huallaga 146 Conclusion 149 4 Control 151 The Rationale for Organization 152 The Structure of Organization 153 How Important Is Hierarchy? 157 Rebel Strategies 159 Organizational Control in Practice 164 Formal and Informal Codes of Conduct: The NRA 164 Centralization and Distrust: Renamo 169 Decentralization and the Guiding Line: Sendero Luminoso Nacional 173 The Consequences of Autonomy: Sendero-Huallaga 179 Conclusion 182 Part II The Strategies of Rebel Groups 185 5 Governance 187 Variations in Rebel Governance 188 The Challenges of Rebel Governance 191 Creating Trust 192 What Rebel Groups Do 193 Why Don't All Groups Strike a Bargain? 195 Making Government Inclusive 196 Organizing the Food Supply 198 Rebel Governments in Practice 199 Mobilizing a Grassroots Democracy: The NRA 199 Resurrecting Traditional Authorities: Renamo 205 An Alternative to Elite Democracy: Sendero Luminoso Nacional 210 Authoritarianism and Inclusion: Sendero-Huallaga 216 Conclusion 219 6 Violence 222 Defining Violence in Civil War 223 Organization and Violence 227 Contestation and Control 232 The Practice of Violence Across Countries 234 Violence within Civil War 241 A War of Targeted Assassinations: The NRA 243 A Campaign of Brutality: Renamo 253 Patterns of Restraint and Excess:Sendero Luminoso Nacional 263 Free from Central Control: Sendero–Huallaga 275 Conclusion 282 7 Resilience 284 Shocks and Expectations 285 How Organizations Respond 287 The Dynamics of Conflict 289 Expulsion and Reemergence: The NRA 289 Resistance and Continued Repression: Renamo 294 Facing Down the Government: Sendero Luminoso Nacional 299 A Changing Local Economy: Sendero-Huallaga 303 Sources of Organizational Change 306 A Switch from Self-Reliance: UNITA 307 Under the Influence: The FARC 311 Drawing Lessons 316 Conclusion 319 Part III Beyond Uganda, Mozambique, and Peru 321 8 Extensions 323 Endowments and Recruitment in Other Contexts 325 Explaining Patterns of Violence across Civil Wars 329 Learning from Outliers 335 Algeria, 1962-1964 336 Algeria, 1992-2000 339 Colombia, 1948-1963 342 Lebanon, 1975-1991 346 9 Conclusion 351 The Curse of Resource Wealth 352 Implications for the Study of Civil War and Insurgency 363 Implications for Policy Makers 365 Naming and Shaming 368 Sanctions as a Source of Leverage 370 Formal Instruments of Accountability 372 Looking Forward 374 Appendix A The Ethnography of Rebel Organizations 375 Distinct Challenges of Ethnography 378 The Research Method 380 Conclusion 388 Appendix B Database on Civil War Violence 390 Structure 391 Method 392 Biases and Limitations 392 Conclusion 394 Appendix C The National Resistance Army Code of Conduct (Abridged) 395 A. Dealing with the Public 395 B. Relationships among the Soldiers 396 Appendix D Norms of Behavior for a Sendero Luminoso Commander 399 Index 401 This Book Presents A Theory That Accounts For The Different Strategies Pursued By Rebel Groups In Civil War, Explaining Why Patterns Of Insurgent Violence Vary So Much Across Conflicts. It Does So By Examining The Membership, Structure, And Behavior Of Four Insurgent Movements In Uganda, Mozambique, And Peru. Drawing On Interviews With Nearly Two Hundred Combatants And Civilians Who Experienced Violence Firsthand, It Shows That Rebels' Strategies Depend In Important Ways On How Difficult It Is To Launch A Rebellion. The Book Thus Demonstrates How Characteristics Of The Environment In Which Rebellions Emerge Constrain Rebel Organization And Shape The Patterns Of Violence That Civilians Experience.--jacket. The Industrial Organization Of Rebellion -- Four Rebel Organizations -- Recruitment -- Control -- Governance -- Violence -- Resilience -- Extensions. Jeremy M. Weinstein. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.