Between ‘Flight’ and ‘Fight’: Does Civilian Resistance against Rebels Work?

Abstract

Understanding the dynamics of nonviolent action in situations of armed conflict has been labelled the ‘new frontier’ in resistance studies. This article reviews the growing body of literature on civilian resistance against rebel groups. Drawn from a systematic review of academic articles, book chapters and policy documents, examples of civilian resistance are ordered into distinct categories of unarmed action: deception, dissent and defiance. This classification provides the conceptual framework to tackle the main research question: Does civilian resistance against rebels work to protect unarmed populations from violence and harm? By scrutinising the effectiveness of civilian resistance, the article seeks to provide a necessary corrective to the dominant view expressed in the literature, which, as the author argues, is overly optimistic regarding prospects of wringing substantial concessions from armed groups via nonviolent action. The article concludes with a discussion on policy implications, focussing on normative challenges for external actors eager to support civilian resisters.