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Local Self-Defence Militias as Counterinsurgents: The Possibility, Willingness and Rationality of Selective Violence against Insurgents
Gilg, Jakob Julian ; Karásek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (referee)
Local Self-Defence Militias as Counterinsurgents The Possibility, Willingness and Rationality of Selective Violence against Insurgents Autor: Jakob J. Gilg Submitted: 31.07.2019 Abstract How do local self-defence militias (LSDMs) influence violence against civilians in civil conflicts? Compared to other types of pro-government militias (PGMs), LSDMs are active in their home area. This results in abundant local information that can be used to identify and target insurgents and their supporters selectively. Furthermore, LSDMs are part of the local community, resulting in strong social ties, making indiscriminate violence against the community less likely. Finally, since LSDMs are dependent on popular support and cannot move on to a new area after violent acts, they are incentivised to retain local support by abstaining from civilian targeting. Therefore, I hypothesise that LSDMs are more likely to employ selective violence, and that their deployment decreases civilian fatalities in civil conflicts. To empirically test this claim in a global sample, I use 1) a logistic regression to assess the likelihood of selective violence of PGMs (H1), and 2) a negative binomial regression to evaluate the expected number of civilians killed by the government (H2). The results for the first hypothesis suggest an increased...
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The role of private security companies in conflict resolution in Africa
Volencová, Ivana ; Werkman, Kateřina (advisor) ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (referee)
This thesis concentrates on the topic of private military companies in the relation to their activities within conflict resolution in four selected African countries - Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte D'Ivoire. The main goal of this thesis is to chart their activities in three areas - within peacekeeping operations, in peacebuilding and within the efforts to maintain stability - and by comparison of collected data for each case study evaluate within which phase of conflict resolution they operate most frequently. At the same time the attempt of this thesis is to identify services that are desired most during conflict resolution process in Africa and examine the possibility that private military companies came through some changes since 1990. In order to gain relevant data for the comparison, technical texts and collected data analysis is being carried out. Keywords security, private military companies, privatization, peacekeeping, peacebuilding
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Hidden conflict in Nigeria: The escalation of the herder-farmer conflict in Nigeria
Iduma, Ugo Igariwey ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Fitzgerald, James (referee)
The research explores the escalation of the herder-farmer conflict in Nigeria to identify the significant patterns of escalation. Relying on a mixed-method analysis of secondary data and aligning with the analytical anchorage of dynamic systems theory, the research argues that the although Benue and Enugu observe the same herder-farmer the patterns of conflict escalation is neither similar, linear or recurrent. This research submits ethnoreligious antagonism, lawlessness, and exclusionary politics as reasons why the conflict escalated into widespread violence. Adding that each of these elements self- reinforces and influence each other to sustain a coordinated state of violence or maintain peace. It makes a case for pragmatic policies that captures the history and political, economic, and social interaction of states and local government.
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Multiple Peace Operations in Mali
Novotný, František ; Bureš, Oldřich (advisor) ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (referee)
In recent years, some scholars have turned their attention towards the problem of multiple simultaneous peace operations (MSPOs), but with little focus on state motivations for their initiation. This thesis examines the case of the conflict in Mali and the high amount of operations deployed there by different actors. It does so through an instrumental case study of the establishment of these operations and of the French role in this process. The thesis finds that France was at first eager to deal with the conflict by supporting regional actors, but with the crisis deteriorating, becoming ever more involved. Next to its own intervention, it led various international organizations to operate alongside it in order to share the conflict management burden while remaining critically influential and securing its goals. This approach allowed France to balance the interests of its domestic audience, western allies, as well as those of the governments in the region. Based on the analysis, the thesis suggests that the proclaimed logic of division of labor between different organizations deploying MSPOs might be a justification for primarily generating as much resources as available while reducing various kinds of costs, although without any explicit evidence for it being a conscious effort of using the...
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Control of territory as a factor for the effective implementation of a political objective of an Islamist violent non-state actor
Ludvík, Zdeněk ; Hynek, Nikola (advisor) ; Bureš, Oldřich (referee) ; Eichler, Jan (referee)
This thesis wants to make clear the theoretical concept in the form of a testable hypothesis on the relationship between the political control of the territory by a Violent Non-State Actor (VNSA) and the effectiveness of realization of its political objective (policies). Since in the literature there is no explicit theory or theorization that would reflect the varying degree of effectiveness with regard to the varying degree of territorial penetration, and there are no explicit parametric indicators and values that may be necessary for effective achievement of the political objective in relation to the territory, the purpose of the research will be to answer the question whether, how and to what extent the intensity of the physical penetration of the territory is related to the ability to more easily and efficiently achieve the goals for which the VNSA has been established and has strived. A general definition of threshold values of the penetration can also provide partial piece of knowledge for practical policies and approaches to territorial VNSA on the part of states (counterinsurgency actors). Although there is no explicit use of any of the theories of international relations in the research, the used theoretical framework is inspired by a) approaches to political geography and outlines of...
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Operations of African States Against Violent Non-State Actors in Somalia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Müller, Vojtěch ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Karásek, Tomáš (referee)
The thesis focuses on violent non-state actors (VNSAs) operating in Africa, and operations of African countries against them. Firstly, the thesis conceptualizes and categorizes both VNSAs and state military operations, which are generally labeled as counterinsurgency operations. Secondly, in addition to the theoretical framework, the thesis provides an analysis of the types, regional distribution and motives of African VNSAs, which have been active between 2010 and 2020. Thirdly, the thesis analyses three case studies, namely AMISOM missions in Somalia since 2007, counterinsurgency operations in Nigeria against Boko Haram since 2009, and military operations against M23 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Based on the comparison of these case studies, the thesis describes the common characteristics and features of military operations of African states against VNSAs.
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Water as Defence: The Role of the Nile in Egypt's struggle for Hydro-Hegemony
Leroy, Clémence ; Karásek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (referee)
The aim of this work is to identify how Egypt became an hydro-power and how it has been challenged by other riparian countries nowadays. The framework of hydro-hegemony will be used as a guideline. We will study the different strategies and tactics developed by Egypt, discourse analysis is one method in this work. In spite of changing internal situation of riparian countries, Egypt's hegemony is increasingly strained. We will discuss the counter-hegemonic behavior of Ethiopia by looking at the strategies it employed. We will especially talk about the great project of Ethiopia that definitely stops the ambitions of Egypt. The study finally examines the overall changing geopolitical environment of the Nile basin with the arrival of new actors, such as China.
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Mungiki in Kenya: From Religious Movement to Militia
Hausvater, Ervín ; Werkman, Kateřina (advisor) ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (referee)
Violent non-state actors have represented a significant challenge for both national and international security in recent decades. One of the many countries that have experienced extensive violence perpetrated by these entities is also Kenya. Particularly armed group called Mungiki managed to become influential security, political, criminal and religious actor. Considering frequent transformations of the group making it difficult to determine what type of violent non-state actor Mungiki is, the group still represents a challenging case for researchers to fully comprehend. To contribute to the understanding of this entity and extend contemporary knowledge of violent non-state actors, this study aims to conceptualize individual phases of Mungiki development and discover mechanisms behind its recurrent metamorphoses from one type of violent actor to another. Based on the review of existing literature focused on violent non-state actors, their conceptualization, emergence, and transformations, the thesis uses a case-centric process- tracing method aimed at explaining particular outcomes of individual transformations. The study consists of an in-depth analysis of Mungiki development in the context of Kenyan security and political environment. The results indicate that Mungiki represented different types...
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Local Self-Defence Militias as Counterinsurgents: The Possibility, Willingness and Rationality of Selective Violence against Insurgents
Gilg, Jakob Julian ; Karásek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (referee)
Local Self-Defence Militias as Counterinsurgents The Possibility, Willingness and Rationality of Selective Violence against Insurgents Autor: Jakob J. Gilg Submitted: 31.07.2019 Abstract How do local self-defence militias (LSDMs) influence violence against civilians in civil conflicts? Compared to other types of pro-government militias (PGMs), LSDMs are active in their home area. This results in abundant local information that can be used to identify and target insurgents and their supporters selectively. Furthermore, LSDMs are part of the local community, resulting in strong social ties, making indiscriminate violence against the community less likely. Finally, since LSDMs are dependent on popular support and cannot move on to a new area after violent acts, they are incentivised to retain local support by abstaining from civilian targeting. Therefore, I hypothesise that LSDMs are more likely to employ selective violence, and that their deployment decreases civilian fatalities in civil conflicts. To empirically test this claim in a global sample, I use 1) a logistic regression to assess the likelihood of selective violence of PGMs (H1), and 2) a negative binomial regression to evaluate the expected number of civilians killed by the government (H2). The results for the first hypothesis suggest an increased...
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