Describe various causes of intra-societal conflict

Introduction

Wars of secession occur when people fight to form an independent country. One example is the American Civil War, in which southern, slaveholding states attempted to break away from the United States and form a new country—the Confederate States of America—where slavery would remain legal.

Describe various causes of intra-societal conflict

Wars of succession, in which people fight to overthrow ruling authorities, are the second type of civil war. Arab Spring uprisings in Libya, Syria, and Yemen—during which antigovernmental protesters fought to oust oppressive political leaders—devolved into prolonged and violent wars of succession.

However, civil wars are just one type of intrastate conflict. Groups fight for many reasons besides seeking independence or a new government. Criminal organizations like drug cartels and terrorist groups like the Islamic State incite violence to control territory and people. Governments persecute minority groups to crush dissent or preserve social hierarchies; the United Nations accuses the Myanmar government of committing acts of genocide against a Muslim ethnic minority known as the Rohingya. And fighting erupts between citizens and governments over issues including corruption, lack of economic opportunity, and competing claims to territory and natural resources.

Describe various causes of intra-societal conflict

Weak, failing, or failed states—in which the government is unable to perform central functions like maintaining security or providing basic services such as electricity, health care, and education—are particularly vulnerable to conflict. In these countries, governments are often unable or unwilling to control what happens inside their borders, and this situation can allow terrorists and criminal groups to operate freely.

Intrastate conflict can also produce state failure by weakening a government’s control over its territory, as is the case in Somalia. Attacks by al-Shabab, a terrorist group, have left Somalia’s already fragile government unable to carry out crucial functions such as maintaining security and responding to natural disasters like a devastating drought in 2011. More than two million Somalis are internally displaced and face severe levels of hunger.

Types of Intrastate Conflict

War of Secession
Definition: Conflicts involving groups of people united by common beliefs, aims, or territory that fight to establish an independent country.
Example: In the American Civil War, southern slaveholding states attempted to break away from the United States and form a new country—the Confederate States of America—where slavery would remain legal.

War of Succession
Definition: Conflicts involving groups of people seeking to overthrow and replace a country’s government or ruling authority.
Example: In 2011, anti-government protesters in Libya overthrew the country’s long-time dictator, Muammar al-Qaddafi. However, nine years after al-Qaddafi’s ousting, rebel groups have yet to form a unified government, and conflict in Libya persists.

Describe various causes of intra-societal conflict

Violence Waged by Terrorist or Criminal Organizations
Definition: Conflicts involving terrorist or criminal organizations that commit acts of violence for political, ideological, or financial motivations.
Example: In Mexico, cartels use violence to exert control over the country’s politics and dominate its illegal drug market. In 2018, drug-related violence resulted in more than 33,000 homicides, including the deaths of at least 130 candidates and politicians.

State-Sanctioned Violence
Definition: Conflicts involving the police, military, or other government group persecuting the country’s own citizens—often targeting those from a minority group.
Example: For decades, Buddhist-majority Myanmar has persecuted religious minorities in the country, including its Rohingya Muslims. This persecution escalated in 2016 with a brutal crackdown by the country's military, which the United Nations labeled a genocide.

Describe various causes of intra-societal conflict

Resource-Driven Conflict

Definition: Conflicts involving several groups vying to control and profit from a country’s natural resources.

Example: South Sudan’s lucrative oil reserves drive conflict. The government-controlled oil sector makes up 60 percent of South Sudan’s gross domestic product, but most of the country does not benefit from the oil industry’s profits. Citizens have protested the oil companies’ appropriation of oil revenues, urging transparency and accountability; in response, the government has increasingly militarized oil production zones.

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