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When jihadist groups establish their own governance and proto-states, they, to some extent, rely on the acquiescence of the civilians under their control. Therefore, civilians are not only victims of coercive control but are also agents of change, sometimes providing fundamental challenges to the jihadists' governance attempts. Civilians in Mali, Iraq, Algeria, and Syria have engaged in various forms of civil resistance against jihadist groups: refusal to cooperate, participation in public protests, and various forms of more covert everyday resistance. Exploring civil resistance against jihadist groups, the book not only studies the conditions under which it occurs but also the forms it takes. It explores who chooses to resist and the conditions under which such resistance can be successful. Confronting the Caliphate is a comprehensive study of this topic, based on original research from surveys in Mosul; disaggregated data on protests across communities in Syria; a comparative analysis of Mali, Iraq, and Yemen; and accounts of resistance in Algeria. It clearly shows that civil resistance is not only possible but is much more prevalent than previously assumed. The rule of jihadist groups presents civilians with some of the most difficult and dangerous circumstances for engaging in civil resistance, but the book demonstrates how they can nonviolently and successfully resist.

This article reports on trends in organized violence, building on new data by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). The falling trend in fatalities stemming from organized violence in the world, observed for five consecutive years, broke upwards in 2020 and deaths in organized violence seem to have settled on a high plateau. UCDP registered more than 80,100 deaths in organized violence in 2020, compared to 76,300 in 2019. The decrease in violence in Afghanistan and Syria was countered by escalating conflicts in, for example, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Azerbaijan and Tigray, Ethiopia. Moreover, the call for a global ceasefire following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic failed to produce any results. In fact, the number of active state-based and non-state conflicts, as well as the number of actors carrying out one-sided violence against civilians, increased when compared to 2019. UCDP noted a record-high number of 56 state-based conflicts in 2020, including eight wars. Most of the conflicts occurred in Africa, as the region registered 30 state-based conflicts, including nine new or restarted ones.

This article reports on trends in organized violence, building on new data by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). The falling trend in fatalities stemming from organized violence in the world, observed for five consecutive years, broke upwards in 2020 and deaths in organized violence seem to have settled on a high plateau. UCDP registered more than 80,100 deaths in organized violence in 2020, compared to 76,300 in 2019. The decrease in violence in Afghanistan and Syria was countered by escalating conflicts in, for example, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Azerbaijan and Tigray, Ethiopia. Moreover, the call for a global ceasefire following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic failed to produce any results. In fact, the number of active state-based and non-state conflicts, as well as the number of actors carrying out one-sided violence against civilians, increased when compared to 2019. UCDP noted a record-high number of 56 state-based conflicts in 2020, including eight wars. Most of the conflicts occurred in Africa, as the region registered 30 state-based conflicts, including nine new or restarted ones.