Terminologically obscured, politically empowered : a typology of state-aligned violent non-state actors
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2025 |
| Druh | Článek v odborném periodiku |
| Časopis / Zdroj | Conflict, Security & Development |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| www | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14678802.2025.2590193 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2025.2590193 |
| Klíčová slova | pro-government militia; state-aligned actor; typology; violent non-state actors (VNSA); Paramilitary forces |
| Přiložené soubory | |
| Popis | Violent non-state actors (VNSAs) aligned with state interests have become prominent yet conceptually fragmented actors within contemporary security dynamics. Despite their growing importance in conflicts worldwide, scholarly and policy literature lack a coherent typology that systematically distinguishes among diverse forms of state-aligned VNSAs. This article addresses this gap by developing a new typology based on an inductive analysis of 100 empirically documented cases active between 2015 and 2025 across multiple world regions. Drawing on seven analytical dimensions including: origin, organisational structure, degree of state control, funding, functional role, motivation, and legal status, seven ideal types are identified: paramilitary units, pro-government militias, loosely state-sponsored VNSAs, auxiliary forces, state-backed self-defence groups, proxy forces, and quasi-state military companies. The typology clarifies conceptual ambiguities by integrating structural and functional variation and provides a valuable tool for comparative analysis, policy formulation, and normative assessment of state-aligned violence. |