Rebel Governance at the Time of Covid-19: Emergencies as Opportunities for Rebel Rulers

Abstract

As Covid-19 has spread worldwide, not only governments but also rebel rulers have had to face the crisis. Therefore, it is important to understand whether exogenous shocks pose to rebel rulers the same challenges they pose to governments. To answer this question, I will refer to the academic literature and I will study two insurgent groups that have been confronted by coronavirus–Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Taliban. Following the case studies, I will argue that while emergencies pose great challenges to governments, they provide rebel rulers with an opportunity to project themselves as more credible and legitimate rulers.