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Hybrid Proxy Ecosystems: Institutional Paralysis, Patron Competition, and the Transformation of Warfare in Syria
Tlass, Moustafa
Tlass, Moustafa
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Abstract
This thesis investigates how institutional paralysis at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) shapes the emergence and evolution of Hybrid Proxy Ecosystems in contemporary civil wars, and the mechanisms through which these dynamics facilitate the fragmentation, proliferation, and transnationalization of violent non-state actors (VNSAs). The thesis focuses on Syria as a case study, as it involves a long list of external and internal actors that interact and illustrate the new complexities emerging from HPEs in contemporary conflicts. The research analyzes this interaction within constrained institutional responses caused by systematic veto use, and examines how current legal frameworks have severe gaps in enforcement mechanisms ensuring international norm compliance, creating a permissive landscape for HPEs to develop in. Methodologically, the research utilizes primary documents and scholarly analyses to trace relations between institutional paralysis and conflict dynamics such as the proliferation of VNSAs. The findings indicate that there is a pattern where UNSC deadlock increases external involvement, accelerates the flow of resources, and intensifies the competition between local armed groups. Through these findings, the thesis contributes conceptually to the body of literature on proxy warfare by categorizing vertical and horizontal proxy models while coining the term Hybrid Proxy Ecosystem and urges a new understanding of collective security frameworks capable of dealing with contemporary conflict dynamics and HPEs.
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Master of Arts in International Affairs -- John Cabot University, Fall 2025.
Date
2025
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War (International law)
Citation
Tlass, Moustafa. "Hybrid Proxy Ecosystems: Institutional Paralysis, Patron Competition, and the Transformation of Warfare in Syria". Master's Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2025.