Fragmentation
FREESTYLE
If you were an armed group in the Congo how would you fund your insurgency?
Fantastic Answer
What foreign entity influenced violence in Eastern Congo under the pretext of national defense.
"protect your house from the outside"
What ethnic group leads The Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP) and its successor, the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23)?
“My monthly salary, when it comes, is 83,000 Congolese francs [90 USD]. My rent alone here in Kinshasa is 200 dollars. That’s officialized corruption.” If this is the reality for Congolese troops, then how do they make money?
They get put on the front lines where: The bulk of money officers received was through hazard pay and bonuses; skimming from salaries, food, logistics, and medical allowances of their troops; setting up local protection rackets; and extorting money from the local population and traders.
aka: Being mean to the population.
Who led the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) during the 1994 genocide, and is known for his authoritative leadership and his human rights violations?
President Kagame
What does Involution mean in the Context of the Congo?
Over time, the main stakeholders’ approach to the conflict turned inwards, becoming invested in their own reproduction, and then became stuck, seeing conflict as an end in itself. There is, however, no grand conspiracy but rather a multitude of actors stuck in a negative equilibrium.
What is it called when there are high amounts of armed groups making negotiations more difficult and prolonging conflict?
What is fragmentation?
Haha its the name of the category.
What was the US led response to the M23 rebellion?
The United States and other Western countries responded by slashing aid to Kigali and threatening to sanction Rwandan officials for aiding and abetting war crimes. This unified international response forced Rwanda to withdraw its support for the rebels, paving the way for their swift defeat.
The city M23 rebel groups targeted for its strategic location and active trading center
Goma
What is the term for when violence becomes normal, and soldiers see it as part of their everyday lives?
normalization of violence
What country moved mechanized equipment into the Congo in order to upgrade 140 miles of road. Which would substantially increase legal and illegal trade.
Uganda
In early 2024 M23 besieged a key city in the east. Name 3 of the armed groups that defended the city.
Hint: it was a "bewildering mishmash"
3 of any:
Congolese Army, Wazalendo, Burundi, SADC (South Africa, Tanzania, Mawali)
Why is the government content to let small armed groups fight each other?
Because it is less threatening then larger groups to the overall structure of the system, and it is hard to negotiate with so many groups. It also contributes to their own economic schemes in the area. Many influential people use the armed groups as a means of securing their own nefarious projects.
In 2010, according to the Global Witness, what percentage of Rwandan exports were Congolese sourced minerals?
In 2010, Global Witness estimated that Congolese-sourced minerals might constitute 75 to 80 percent of Rwandan exports.
A tactic used to defend core ethnic or national identities, which is framed as necessary to preserve indigenous status/protect against foreign influence?
Justified violence in essentialist terms.