Why do violent non-state actors sometimes become rivals, and how can we better understand the relationships between them? Introducing ViNSAR: Dyadic Data on Violent Non-State Actor Rivalry addresses these questions by introducing new data on competition between militant organisations.
Violent non-state actors do not operate independently. They exist within wider networks of relationships with other armed organisations, including alliances and rivalries that can develop and change over time. Understanding these relationships is important for examining how groups compete and how this competition can influence patterns of political violence.
The article introduces the Violent Non-State Actor Rivalry (ViNSAR) dataset, which provides time-varying data on rivalry between hundreds of rebel groups, terrorist organisations, and pro-government militias in Africa and Asia between 1990 and 2015. Rather than simply counting the number of groups operating in a country, ViNSAR captures different levels of rivalry, including denouncements, threats, and violence.A particularly valuable feature of the dataset is its attention to rivalry between different types of violent organisations. By examining relationships between rebels, terrorists, and pro-government militias, ViNSAR provides a more detailed perspective on how competition develops between armed groups. The authors also use the data to examine the “outbidding” argument, finding support for the idea that competition between organisations can lead to increased terrorism.
Introducing ViNSAR offers a valuable contribution to the study of militant organisations, terrorism, civil wars, and political violence. The dataset will be of interest to academics, students, and researchers seeking to examine the relationships and dynamics that shape competition between violent non-state actors.
Citation: Conrad, Justin, Kevin T. Greene, and Brian J. Phillips. “Introducing ViNSAR: Dyadic Data on Violent Non-State Actor Rivalry.” Journal of Conflict Resolution, 68(9), 2024, pp. 1884–1908.
