Understanding Why and How Civilians Resort to Self-Protection in Armed Conflict

The absence and limitations of civilian protection efforts have contributed to civilians in conflict zones adopting a variety of strategies to protect themselves from physical violence. These self-protection efforts have sometimes saved individuals and communities from violence and engendered a level of security. Nonetheless, the civilian protection literature and community have largely underestimated the importance of these self-protection strategies.

 

This article traces the growth of the civilian protection regime and interrogates the absence of civilian self-protection therein. It reviews the emerging self-protection literature and offers a typology of civilian self-protection strategies.

 

 

Peace Medie is a Global Leaders Fellow at GEG and a research fellow in the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) at the University of Ghana.