Why Do Peasants Fight Rebels? The Cases of Civilian Defence Forces Against the FARC in Southern Tolima, Colombia

Why do civilians engage in Civilian Defence Forces (CDFs) to confront insurgents if it is more dangerous than pacific resistance? This paper addresses two cases of peasant-centric CDFs in southern Tolima, Colombia. Based on secondary sources and interviews, a rich historical account of the CDFs is presented, allowing the application of process tracing for analysis. A framework to explain CDFs, recognising the interweaving of local security dilemmas and the macro-cleavage of the civil war, is proposed. Three determinants were found: previous participation of civilians in organised violence, legitimation of violent responses and the cooptation of community conflict resolution institutions.