Proliferation of Para-military Organizations in Context of IR Theoretical Approaches: Case of Democratic Republic of Congo, 1996-2006

Research explores reasons of proliferation of various paramilitary organizations within Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the period of a decade between 1996 and 2006. In particular it documents history, affiliation, and performance, both economic and political of 5 primary paramilitary organizations as well as phenomena of Mai-Mai militias, which played central role during this period, then trying to explain their peculiar course with usage of three IR theoretical approaches. Notably, these are Waltz structural realism, Kaldor ‘New Wars’ theory and Wallerstein World System Theory. Using three respected approaches as relevant lenses, research found out that 1) those paramilitaries that were directly supported by any state had much more chances to get into Transitional government of DRC then others, with specific preference for those affiliated with state itself, 2) more ostracized from central government of DRC paramilitary was, more particularistic was its behavior and larger was its reliance on local ethnic identity, 3) over the period in question notable economic shift occurred from clientelist politics of Mobutu era to more simple networks of war governed by militias and oriented not towards the state but its benefactor abroad.