ABSTRACT
In a similar fashion, former British Army Officer John Mackinlay proposed the concept of complex insurgency, incorporating elements of complexity theory to explain the nature and character of rebels in the post-Cold War era. Membership to the organisation cannot be defined in strict terms since anyone can suddenly act in favour of the insurgency, making the boundary between the organisation and society blurry. Within the insurgency, combatants will go through several processes created to guarantee organisational cohesion, including political indoctrination. Empty spaces are areas or zones of the territory of any country where there is virtually no authority or presence of the security forces, allowing its relative occupation by the insurgency. The capacity of the insurgency to raise support through the region, and the contribution that the environment may offer for the organisation’s expansion, depends on the existence of wider regional insurrection and political mobilisation processes.
