Retaliation for Retaliation: Examining the Cycle of Blood Vengeance During Internal Conflicts
In the intricate web of global conflicts, the customary code of blood revenge continues to shape patterns of violent mobilization, target selection, recruitment, and disengagement. This ancient practice, deeply rooted in social norms of honor and shame, has been observed in various tribal and ethnic groups, from Afghanistan to Romani communities in Europe, and Bedouin societies.
In the chaotic landscape of warfare, blood revenge operates as a form of private vengeance primarily aimed at restoring family or clan honor after a killing or comparable serious harm. This vengeance often targets specific opponents or their kin associated with the initial offense, creating a cycle of retaliatory attacks that can escalate conflicts and widen their scope.
The need to uphold honor channels violent mobilization mostly within kinship networks or tribes, with recruitment into violent actions tied closely to familial or clan affiliations. Individuals are recruited into violent acts by social obligation or pressure to uphold family or clan reputation, making participation in revenge violence a culturally enforced duty rather than just a strategic or political choice.
In irregular conflicts, avengers are compelled to seek membership in armed units, despite their ideological or political attitudes toward the conflict, to exact blood revenge against individuals serving in the ranks of an opposed faction. For instance, the Taliban has excelled in recruiting tribesmen seeking vengeance for their relatives killed in drone strikes and clashes with coalition forces.
However, in the chaos of warfare, identifying the culprits can be unfeasible, leading avengers to expand the pool of targets. This growth of the pool of viable targets can put entire (sub)ethnic and (sub)religious communities at risk of retaliatory killings.
In the Second Russian-Chechen War, pro-Russian Chechen units successfully used blood revenge to force hundreds of insurgents to defect and join local indigenous pro-government militias, the kadyrovtsy. Conversely, in areas where blood revenge endures, a refusal to mobilize can be met with enormous repercussions for war efforts.
Blood revenge has played an important yet underappreciated role in shaping the operational environment of civil wars globally. It helps overcome the collective action problem, influencing irregular conflicts in at least four ways: by shaping the patterns of violent mobilization, target selection, recruitment, and disengagement.
Disengagement or cessation of violence in blood revenge cultures is challenging due to deep-rooted notions of honor and the fear of social stigma, but it can sometimes occur through negotiated settlements, symbolic acts of reconciliation, or external interventions. Declines or breaks in such cycles require proactive cultural shifts or conflict resolution mechanisms that disrupt the traditional requirements for revenge.
The authors of a recent study, Emil Aslan, David S. Siroky, and Roberto Colombo, offer new insights into the role of blood revenge in irregular conflicts, including US-led campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. In these conflicts, blood revenge is exploited by belligerents seeking to recruit strongly determined avengers unlikely to defect or demobilize, even in life-threatening situations.
In conclusion, the customary code of blood revenge sustains cycles of retaliatory violence by embedding them in social norms of honor, dictating targeted violent responses within kinship groups. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for conflict resolution efforts and peacebuilding strategies in regions where blood revenge endures.
Image Credit: Kurdishstruggle
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.
- In some irregular conflicts, avengers seek membership in militarized drone defense units as a means to exact blood revenge, as observed in cases like the Taliban recruiting tribesmen for attacks on coalition forces.
- Identifying the culprits in blood revenge cultures can be difficult, prompting avengers to expand their pool of targets and potentially putting entire communities at risk of retaliatory killings.
- Blood revenge has historical roles in shaping the operational environment of civil wars worldwide, helping resolve the collective action problem by influencing patterns of violent mobilization, target selection, recruitment, and disengagement.
- Understanding the role of blood revenge in persistent conflicts is vital for conflict resolution and peacebuilding strategies, as it embeds cycles of retaliatory violence within social norms of honor, dictating targeted violent responses within kinship networks.
