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War in The Democratic Republic

of Congo

Lecture 13

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The Logic of War in the Liberal

Vision

Deteriorating Economic Conditions

Zero-Sum PoliticsNo Democratic Tradition of Compromise and

Power Sharing

Politics Becomes a Winner Take All Affair

Conflict in Environment of Economic

Deprivation Often Produces War.

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Adding Realism

In the Absence of Prosperity and Democracy,Peace Becomes Dependent Upon Characteristicsof the International System.

The Power Structure of the International SystemBipolarity vs. Multipolarity.

The Ability of International Organizations to Actas Effective Deterrents to War.

Thus, the End of the Cold War May HaveContributed to Warfare in Regions Outside ofWestern Europe.

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Anarchy in Post Cold War Africa

External: Withdrawal of US and Soviet Support

Regional: Very Weak Regional Institutions

Domestic: Economic CollapseNegative Per Capita GDP Growth

during 1980s and 1990s.

Collapse of State Authority and Transitions to NewPolitical Regimes.

Emergence of Pervasive Conflict.

Also Very Mearsheimer-esque: End of theCold War Brings About Resurgent Conflict.

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Zaire: The Mobutu Regime Mobutu and the

Kleptocrats, 1960-1990

US Support as BulwarkAgainst Socialism in

Africa. End of Cold War Ends US

Financial Support.

Economic Collapse

GDP growth negative since

1989, estimated at -8.0percent in 1992.

Collapse of PoliticalAuthority

Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu waza Banga, or, The

all-conquering warrior who, because of his endurance and

inflexible will to win, will go from conquest to conquest leaving fire in his wake

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The Mobutu Effect

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

U.S.

Dollars

Per Capita Income

Source: World Bank. World Development Indicators on CD-ROM

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War in Zaire

Precipitating Causes

Lie in 1994 Rwandan

Conflict. Refugees and Hutu

Extremists in Zaire.

Rwanda and Uganda

join Forces with

Zairian Tutsis to

Overthrow Mobutu

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Install Laurent Kabila asPresident of DemocraticRepublic of Congo.

Kabila Alienates DomesticSupport, and Does NotControl Hutu Extremists.

Rwanda and UgandaBegin to SupportCongolese Union forDemocracy (RCD)Against Kabila.

Laurent Kabila

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Angola Supports

Kabila.

Involved in Civil Warwith UNITA

Mobutu had supported

UNITA, thus Angolan

Government SupportsKabila and UNITA

supports the RCD

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Namibia: Allied with Angola, thus Fighting

in support of Kabila.

Zimbabwe: Rivalry with Rwanda and

Uganda, thus Fighting in support of Kabila

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700,000 Refugees

2 Million Dead (?)

Ceasefire, July 1999

UN Peacekeepers Put inPlace (5,537)

Fighting Continues

January 2001, Kabila

Assassinated byBodyguard

Kabilas Son Installed asPresident

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The Role of the UN

During the War, Role

Restricted to

Humanitarian Aid Since the War,

Involved in

Peacekeeping and

Peacemaking

Implications for

Liberal Vision?

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Bigger Point 1

Collapse of the Cold War

Created Anarchic

Environment in Large

Parts of Africa.

Lack Effective Regional

Institutions.

Conducive to Balance of

Power Politics.

Increasing Importance of

the United Nations.

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