ACLED's Roudabeh Kishi told Newsweek 'armed, organized groups not only adapt to shocks—both internal ones as well as external ones, like COVID-19—but also can use them to further their goals.'
The novel coronavirus pandemic presents new challenges for both governments and the forces confronting them, but militants, rebels and gangs are finding ways to use the crisis to their advantage by using it to establish legitimacy and further challenging overburdened state institutions, a conflict monitor has found.
Such irregular forces are not just stirring up trouble, however. Many are also finding ways to fill the gaps left by official institutions struggling to cope with the public health burden imposed by the pandemic. Talks between the two rival Afghan factions were supposed to begin last month but have been repeatedly delayed amid mutual suspicions. With little progress made in spite of pressure from the U.S., the Taliban suspended its involvement in the dialogue last week, a move that the latest CDT report said"raises concerns over a new escalation of violence."
Around the world, demonstrations were also impacted by the new coronavirus spread in different ways. While the disease effectively halted the momentum of months-long protests in countries like Chile and Iraq, Kishi explained that many protesters found ways to express themselves in non-traditional manners.
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