IRRC No. 864

Asymmetric conflict structures

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Inequality in arms, indeed, significant disparity between belligerents, has become a prominent feature of various contemporary armed conflicts. This article attempts tentatively to assess the repercussions this could have on the principle of reciprocity, especially the risk of the instigation of a destabilizing dynamic of negative reciprocity which ultimately could lead to a gradual intensification of a mutual disregard of international humanitarian law.

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