Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide, Second Edition Second Edition | Page 30

Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide
forces; building host-state capacity; disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR); or
other tasks.
E CONOMIC F ACTORS
a. Economic issues can have significant impact upon civilian vulnerabilities and potential
threats. Armed conflict and natural disasters can disrupt livelihoods and make civilians more
vulnerable to various deprivations. While perhaps not directly relevant in terms of direct violence
towards civilians, economic issues are nonetheless meaningful when the
overall mission objectives include the welfare of the population and
securing its support. Additionally, civilians who are concerned about
their property and livelihoods may choose to remain in dangerous areas
and resist efforts to be relocated.
b. Widespread deprivation and unemployment can result in increased
criminal activity when people believe it is their only means to survive.
Civilians may be directly targeted by criminals or become caught in the
middle between rival criminal groups. Civilians can increasingly suffer as illicit economic
activities flourish, such as human trafficking, kidnapping, theft, looting, extortion, corruption,
narcotics trafficking, and black marketing. Exploitation of natural resources (such as “conflict
diamonds”) can fuel conflict, and there could be economic incentives for some actors to prolong a
conflict and avoid a peaceful political settlement. Civilian suffering is further compounded when
criminal influences corrupt governmental regulatory, fiscal, and decision-making processes and
programs.
c. Other related issues may include monetary resourcing for the military force’s activities, such
as local development projects or compensation payments for civilians harmed as a result of
military operations. Additionally, economic development may be part of the path forward and
military forces may require familiarity with the specific private, international, and
nongovernmental economic actors and programs. In particular, military forces may need to assist
with establishing a sufficiently secure environment in which these entities can operate.
S OCIAL F ACTORS
a. The military force will need to understand social factors such as
demographics, culture, identity groups, and other issues. As a new actor in
the environment, the military can affect existing relationships and tensions,
and military leaders should be cautious about being manipulated by actors
with their own agendas.
b. Ethnic, religious, regional, or other social cleavages may also
motivate violence against civilians, particularly during civil wars. Any
attacks on civilians, regardless of the source, could jeopardize mission objectives. Many will
expect that military forces should be able to prevent such incidents, particularly if some of the
actors that harm civilians are viewed as partners of the military forces.
c. Social unrest over a variety of issues may generate civil disturbance in which military forces
are confronted by large numbers of angry civilians who could quickly become a threat. This could
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