Chapter three focuses on the background and production of political violence based on the idea of the political opportunity structure in rational legalistic and patrimonial political orders. It demonstrates that in many cases mobilisation occurs after the outbreak of violence rather than preceding it. The two vignettes that are used to explain these processes are the rise of the Montoneros in Argentina in the 1970s and the Rebel United Front in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. The causal mechanism that surfaces in this chapter relates to the raising of the saliency of the perceived issues at stake, which constitutes a major form of escalation in armed conflict.

Chapter 7 shows how socioeconomic injustice can act as the catalyst for social mobilisation, looking at the Bosnian protests of 2017. This chaper finally shows how socioeconomic justice issues can be connected to social justice struggles that build on the unresolved legacies of conflict. I explore the claims and slogans of the protests, and trace a connection between these and wartime socioeconomic violence and its continuation during the transition. By looking at the modes of participation and organisation that characterised the protests, I also show how activism and contentious politics are an important part of post-war justice processes. Lastly, the chapter analyses the international community’s reaction to the protests, highlighting its rigid conception of ‘justice’ and inability to engage in meaningful dialogue with a grassroots, horizontal movement.

Chapter 7 shows how socioeconomic injustice can act as the catalyst for social mobilisation, looking at the Bosnian protests of 2017. This chaper finally shows how socioeconomic justice issues can be connected to social justice struggles that build on the unresolved legacies of conflict. I explore the claims and slogans of the protests, and trace a connection between these and wartime socioeconomic violence and its continuation during the transition. By looking at the modes of participation and organisation that characterised the protests, I also show how activism and contentious politics are an important part of post-war justice processes. Lastly, the chapter analyses the international community’s reaction to the protests, highlighting its rigid conception of ‘justice’ and inability to engage in meaningful dialogue with a grassroots, horizontal movement.