Feeding the Horse

Unofficial Economic Activities within the Police Force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Bibliographic Data

ID12976424
AuthorsMaria Eriksson Baaz (0000-0002-7702-2000, Nordic Africa Institute, corresponding author), Ola Olsson (0000-0003-0789-1064, University of Gothenburg)
Year2011
Volume4
Issue4
Pages223-241
Publication date2011-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAfrican Security (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1939-2206 • E-ISSN: 1939-2214
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/19392206.2011.628629
OpenAlexW1974435348
LanguageEN
Citations received19

Based on original interview material, this article addresses the organization of unofficial economic activities within the Congolese (Democratic Republic of the Congo) police force. In contrast to dominant assumptions in security sector reform discourses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in which property violations tend to be portrayed as disorganized, ad-hoc activities, following from irregular and insufficient salaries, the article shows how property violations are highly organized with large portions flowing upward in the chain of command. However, the article also argues for the need to go beyond one-dimensional notions of “unrestrained predation” and simplistic dichotomies between civilians (victims) and police/military (predators). Furthermore, it argues for a more contextual analysis in which the core security sector institutions are situated more firmly in the political and economic context in which they operate

Context (archaeology · Democracy · Fence (mathematics · Geography · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Property (philosophy · Security forces · Situated · Sociology · The Republic · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Law · Peacebuilding and International Security