An armed conflict exists whenever recourse is made to armed force between States or protracted armed confrontation between governmental armed forces and organized armed groups or between such groups arising on the territory of a State (party to the Geneva Conventions). International humanitarian law distinguishes between two types of armed conflicts, namely:
- International armed conflicts (IAC), involving two or more opposing States;
- Non-international armed conflicts (NIAC), between government forces and non-government armed groups, or between such groups only.