The SMO-COIN nexus using social movement theory to demobilize insurgency

Abstract

Victory in irregular war and insurgency is not simply a matter of combat actions and civic aid; it is a matter of population mobilization. Winning the sympathy of the population will do little good for either the state or the insurgent if he fails to mobilize the population in a manner that allows him to reap the resources and legitimacy that either side needs to win. A winning strategy by the state must be one that either limits the insurgent's ability to mobilize the population or allows the state to mobilize the population more efficiently than the insurgent. The use of social movement organizations offers an effective method for insurgents to mobilize a population during an insurgency. In many cases, the use of social movement organizations is more efficient as a mobilization strategy than are other strategies such as coercion or persuasion. A strategy by the state that disrupts the insurgent's ability to use a sympathetic social movement organization offers the state an effective means to limit the resources available to the insurgents. In these cases, the state can also create its own social movement organizations to allow it to mobilize the population effectively in support of the government.