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Soldiers without an army? Patronage networks and cohesion in the armed forces of the DR Congo

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posted on 2023-06-09, 15:15 authored by Judith Verweijen
This article analyzes the effects of patronage networks on cohesion in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It shows that while patronage networks provide support to individual military personnel, they undermine both peer and commander–subordinate bonding. They promote unequal service conditions and statuses and link these to extra-unit and extra-military forms of social identification, which are further reinforced by soldiers’ living and generating revenue among civilians. Furthermore, they impair meritocracy and frustrate the extent to which commanders live up to their subordinates’ expectations. As they fuel internal conflicts, often around revenue generation, and foster bad service conditions and distrust toward the political and military leadership, patronage networks also undermine institutional cohesion. The article concludes that cohesion formation in the FARDC follows different patterns than in well-institutionalized and well-resourced militaries. Given that cohesion impacts combat performance and norm enforcement, these findings are relevant for defense reform efforts and military cooperation.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Armed Forces & Society

ISSN

0095-327X

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Issue

4

Volume

44

Page range

626-646

Department affiliated with

  • International Relations Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-09-27

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-03-07

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-09-27

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