Rebel groups, it is held, depend on civilian populations for their survival. Mao Tse-tung famously asserted that “because guerilla warfare basically derives from the masses and is supported by them, it can neither exist nor flourish if it separates itself from their sympathies and cooperation.” Civilians are thought to be central players in insurgency: access to food, shelter, labor, and information depends on their compliance. For this reason, rebel groups often build governing structures that mobilize political support from noncombatants and enable the extraction of key resources.

Institutions for governing civilians emerge as rebel groups begin to hold territory. Territorial control allows rebels to move freely rather than remain in hiding, offers the prospect of regularized interaction with civilians, and sends a strong signal of rebel strength. The control of territory and civilian populations also creates a new organizational challenge for rebel leaders. Civilians are strategic actors, and as such they have the capacity to provide or withhold their participation and support. Noncombatant populations can assist rebel groups by providing the resources groups desire, they can ignore rebel groups, or they can actively resist them by fighting back on their own or by assisting the government. In managing civilians, rebel groups must take into account their desire for security, their need for food and shelter, and their incentives to choose one side over the other.