Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide
disenfranchised group obtaining power , members of that group may target those viewed as former oppressors and their sympathizers . 29
( 2 ) Power Struggles . Different groups may violently compete for national , sector , or local power . This may occur when a regime collapses , in the aftermath of armed conflict , or when a government is otherwise extremely fragile . The groups may be motivated by an ideology , loyalty to a warlord or other leader , or the desire for profit . In many cases groups compete for control over resources including land or minerals . They may intentionally target civilians who support other groups , or civilians may be incidentally harmed from the power struggles .
( 3 ) Societal Unrest . Parts of the population may mobilize to protest political , economic , or social conditions . The dissent could be a result of persistent grievances , unmet expectations , or a specific event that triggers unrest . Protests could deteriorate into riots and other violence that threatens other civilians and their livelihoods . Additionally , they could prompt regime attempts to suppress the unrest . Such efforts could be particularly brutal and threaten civilians . These efforts , in turn , could result in wider unrest . Military forces engaged in stabilization activities or other operations could also confront outbreaks of unrest .
( 4 ) Intercommunal Conflict . Different identity groups , such as tribes or ethnic groups , may conduct acts of violence against each other . The original motives for the conflict could be traced to issues such as land ownership , water rights , conflict between pastoralist and nomadic communities , or livestock rustling . Over time , these motives may be augmented by the desire to retaliate for previous acts of violence by the other community . It is possible that different communities have long been intermingled and peacefully coexisting , but some triggering event occurs to polarize the communities . Intercommunal conflict could be an applicable context at the regional , national , sector , and local levels .
( 5 ) Sectarian Conflict . Religious differences can also create violent instability contexts , particularly if intolerant religious extremists do not respect the rights of other faith members , agnostics , or atheists . However , it is possible that any religious differences are incidental to a conflict between groups , and that a conflict ’ s roots are actually based on competition for political power , land , resources , or other motives not tied to religious ideology . Sectarian differences can be a veneer for conflicts that are actually rooted on other issues . Alternatively , previously dormant sectarian differences may become inflamed when other disagreements arise .
POC RISK TYPES
Specific risk types frequently occur within any of the general contexts discussed above :
a . Conflict-Related Sexual Violence ( CRSV ). CRSV consists of violent acts of a sexual nature , including rape , sexual slavery , enforced prostitution , forced pregnancy , enforced sterilization , mutilation , indecent assault , trafficking , inappropriate medical examinations , and strip searches . 30 Sexual violence frequently occurs during armed conflict and in fragile states ,
29
For more on post-conflict revenge , see Kjeksrud , Beadle , and Lindvist .
30
CRSV is closely related to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence ( SGBV ), another frequently used term . It is also partially related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse ( SEA ), which refers to transgressions by those in positions of
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