In a debate with Prof. Yuval Shany, the author argues that the equality of belligerents in international humanitarian law of non-international armed conflicts should be abandoned, because it either subjects many armed groups to unrealistic requirements they cannot comply with or it limits the obligations of governmental forces to minimal obligations. The author provides examples of fields in which IHL of non-international armed conflicts, which becomes increasingly similar to IHL of international armed conflicts, is unrealistic for most armed groups. The author suggest rather a sliding-scale of obligations for armed groups, that will increase according to the intensity of violence and the degree of organization of the group.