The ill-resourced security services in the DR Congo are commonly described as “predatory” and known for informal taxation and revenue-generation practices. Yet civilians also collaborate with and use these services in their own income-generation schemes. At the same time, lower-ranking staff and their families belong to the poorest segments of Congolese society and engage in similar economic activities as found in the Congolese survival economy at large.  This Sida-funded research project analyzed the income-generating strategies of both security staff and citizens in the DRC and how these intersect, conflict and collide.

• Staff involved: Judith Verweijen (based at Uppsala University)
• Funded by: Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)/Swedish Research Council