Conflicts with the Participation of Non-State Actors as a Factor in the Crisis of Statehood

Abstract

The analysis of the nature of contemporary armed conflicts indicates the transformation of the state’s role as a leading subject of the political process and a monopolist in the implementation of collective violence. Prolonged conflicts in some regions of the world cast doubt on the ability of official political institutions to guarantee security, effectively govern society and exercise legitimate authority. Non-state violence is the dominant form of confrontation for decades. And among state violence, the absolute majority are intrastate conflicts, in which various non-state actors oppose the forces of official governments. Conflicts involving non-state actors can lead to a significant weakening of the effectiveness and legitimacy of power, which over time can lead to the loss of state capacity. Such conflicts have a complex structure, often of a cross-border nature, and extend to the territory of neighboring states. The collapse of state institutions results in the emergence of alternative structures that take over the functions of the state. These include the Taliban movement, the transnational terrorist organizations Islamic State and al-Qaeda, the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab, the Haqqani Network, whose activities have been analyzed in the publication. Today, the described processes are observed in a number of countries covered by intrastate and intrastate internationalized conflicts. They have acquired the character of a trend in the Middle East (Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria). There are hotbeds of extreme destabilization in northern and eastern Africa (Libya, Somalia). In all these countries, the crisis of statehood is accompanied by a high level of terrorist activity of paramilitary groups. Such conflicts threaten regional and international security and require collective efforts to resolve and restore stability.