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IDPs and Non-State Armed Groups

IDPs and Non-State Armed Groups

An internally displaced woman among the tens of thousands who have sought protection at Zam Zam IDP Camp in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan, fleeing fresh clashes between government and rebel forces. (Photo: UN Photo/Olivier Chassot, March 2011)

While the number of armed conflicts has decreased since the late 1990s, those between national governments and Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs), or between armed NSAGs, continue to cause large-scale and prolonged displacement, both internally and to other - particularly neighbouring - states.

IDMC considers as NSAGs groups that:

  1. challenge the state monopoly on coercive force;
  2. operate outside effective state control; and/or
  3. are capable of preventing, blocking or endangering humanitarian action or peace initiatives.

The relationship between NSAGs and IDPs is often complex and varies greatly between contexts. In many countries, IDPs are exposed to violence and to various violations of their rights, either by the State or by NSAGs. NSAGs have various obligations towards IDPs under international law, which can be found in the Genera Conventions and their additional protocols, but also in the Rome Statut and the Kampala Convention, as well as the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. However, the vast majority of violations committed by NSAGs against IDPs and other civilians are perpetrated with impunity, as national governments have lost the monopoly on the use of force and their judicial systems may function poorly. In some situations, internally displaced communities have developed effective coping strategies and asserted their rights in the face of NSAGs. Finally, some NSAGs have taken steps to protect IDPs, by collaborating with humanitarian organisations in providing assistance, facilitating IDPs' safe return or making commitments to respect protection standards.

Conference on Armed non-State actors and the Protection of Internally Displaced People

IDMC and Geneva Call organised in March 2011 an expert conference in Geneva, Switzerland, which explored different aspects of the complex interface between NSAGs and IDPs. The conference report details the findings of this unique event, during which current and former NSAGs and members of civil society from areas undergoing internal displacement expressed their views and perspectives, and humanitarian organisations and academics shared their experience and presented the findings of their academic and field research. The report also presents a series of recommendations to enhance IDP protection in situations where NSAGs are active.

  • IDMC and Geneva Call, June 2011, Conference on Armed non-State actors and the Protection of Internally Displaced People (March 23-24, 2011)
    English, Spanish
Internally displaced children in an IDP camp in Garowe, Puntland. (Photo: IRIN/Keishamaza Rukikaire, February 2011)

Documents

NSAGs commitments to IDP protection

NSAGs have engaged to commit to IDP protection through a series of bilateral agreements and other commitments. The first document below describes the various types of commitments NSAGs have made, with relevant excerpts. It is followed by a non-exhaustive list of documents which mention IDPs specifically.