Abstract
The conflict in Eastern Congo is complicated, with a multitude of levels and layers, and involving a range of actors with different interests. States are involved; the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) obviously has a stake in the conflict and its various regional allies, such as Angola, are also indirectly involved. Neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Uganda have not only at times had troops on Congolese ground, but also supported various rebel movements, and a range of local rebel movements and militias also operate in this area — some on their own, and some are clearly in collusion either with the Congolese government or with foreign sponsors, whereas others have more ambiguous relationships both with the Congolese state and with neighbouring countries. Faced with the complexity and fragmented nature of the conflict, it is easy to conclude that Eastern Congo and the province of North Kivu in particular has degenerated into some sort of criminal anarchy, resembling a Hobbesian state of nature where everybody is pitted against each other.
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Bøås, M. (2014). North Kivu, Eastern Congo: Buffer, Battleground, Sanctuary. In: Vassort-Rousset, B. (eds) Building Sustainable Couples in International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137273543_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137273543_8
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