Architectures of Violence

Paramilitary or irregular units have been involved in practically every case of identity-based mass violence in the modern world, but detailed analysis of these dynamics is rare.Through exploringthe case of former Yugoslavia, Kate Ferguson exposes the relationships between paramilitaries, state commands, local communities, and organised crime present in modern massatrocities, from Rwanda and Darfur to Syria and Myanmar.Visible paramilitary participation masks the continued dominance of the state in violent crises. Political elites benefit from using unconventional forces to fulfil ambitions that violate international lawand international policy responses are hindered when responsibility for violence is ambiguous. Fergusons inquiry into these overlooked dynamics of mass violence unveils substantial loopholes in current atrocity prevention architecture.