In the eyes of international humanitarian law (IHL), armed conflict is an event or situation where a State and non-State armed groups use armed force against one another. However, many current armed conflicts defy formal legal criteria. Often, they involve the participation of more than one State and non-State armed groups that are organised and under responsible command and have the capacity to carry out sustained and concerted military operations.
The roots of armed conflict are numerous and intertwined, and it is important to understand the complex reasons why they develop. To begin with, human needs play a fundamental role: Maslow (1954; 1973) distinguished between basic needs such as the need for survival and security, social and belonging needs (belonging to a group), and esteem and self-actualisation, which are a prerequisite for the satisfaction of other higher-order needs.
Economic inequalities – such as wealth gaps, poverty and lack of access to resources – are also important drivers of armed conflict. They may lead to resentment and mobilisation of disenfranchised groups that are willing to resort to violence as a means of asserting their rights and demands, or to protect their communities from threats to their way of life.
Political and ideological issues, including governance and competing visions for the future of a country or region, can also contribute to the emergence of armed conflict. These are often magnified by historical grievances, ethnic or religious divides and the manipulation of identity politics.
About the Author
