Peacebuilding as State Building? Lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

This chapter on the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a comparative study of two major intervention attempts of the UN Peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) in different theaters of conflict in North Kivu: one that was seen as a success (against the M23 rebellion, 2012-2013), and the other a failure (against the ADF rebellion, 2014-present). The chapter examines how differences in armed groups’ social embedment within local communities shaped resistance against the intervention and produced these varied outcomes of success/failure. The comparison allows for the examination of an emerging trend in peacekeeping-its militarization-as well as a consideration of how differences in civilian relations shape the possibility for peacebuilding. As the largest mission in UN history, these experiences offer empirical lessons for thinking about the future trajectory of peacebuilding.