Chapter

Afghanistan and Syria : nonstate actors and their negative impact on human security

Mario Laborie

Public international law and human rights violations by private military and security companies

Cham : Springer, 2017

p. 7-29

English

Bibliographie : p. 27-29

This chapter offers an in-depth look at the presence of nonstate actors in Afghanistan and Syria and shows how their direct participation in hostilities negatively impacts all aspects of human security, making them one of the main threats to peace and stability. In the case of Afghanistan, it highlights the presence of progovernment groups, including (a) militias, paramilitary groups, and auxiliary police forces and (b) PMSCs and the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF). In addition to these groups, there are the insurgents: the Taliban; Al-Qaeda and its Uzbek affiliates, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Jihad Union; the Haqqani Network; Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin; and Daesh. The conflict in Syria also features numerous nonstate armed actors (NSAAs), including (1) militias, (2) mercenaries and PMSCs (in particular, Russian private security contractors), and (3) foreign combatants and terrorists.

• Full text (restricted access : ICRC)

• Public international law and human rights violations by private military and security companies / Helena Torroja, ed.