Update on the status of army integration in the DRC

The document provides a situation report on the military integration and Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) processes in the DRC. It details the FARDC's three-stage strategic plan to establish a national defence force by 2010, starting with light infantry brigades. The report highlights significant obstacles, including a lack of political will, severe funding shortages for equipment and salaries, and the discovery that 30-40% of listed soldiers are 'ghosts'. While coordination between international donors (via the Contact Group and EUSEC) and national bodies has improved, the process remains fragile, evidenced by high desertion rates in brassage centres and threats of re-invasion in the east.

• The FARDC's strategic plan for army integration is structured in three stages: creating light infantry brigades for the upcoming elections, forming a rapid reaction unit, and establishing the main defence force by 2010.
• A military census conducted by South Africa and the SMI revealed that between 30% and 40% of the soldiers listed as members of the FARDC do not actually exist, which the document links to high levels of corruption.
• Severe lack of funding for salaries and basic needs led to appalling living conditions in brassage centres, resulting in an estimated 2,500 out of 6,000 integrated troops deserting between March and August 2005.
• The integration process is hampered by a critical lack of equipment; except for Belgium, no other international donors have provided equipment for the new brigades, and the Minister of Defence stated that unequipped brigades will not be deployed.
• Coordination of Security Sector Reform (SSR) has evolved from a failed MONUC-led architecture to a more effective system involving a 'Contact Group' of donors (including the US, UK, Belgium, France, Angola, South Africa, and the Netherlands) and the EUSEC military cell.
• The stability of the integration process was further undermined in late August 2005 by threats from General Nkunda to re-invade eastern DRC, leading to the disappearance of 1,000 combatants from the 2nd Mixed Battalion near Burungu on 31 August.

APA

Boshoff, H. (2005). Update on the status of army integration in the DRC. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/050902DRC.PDF

Chicago

Boshoff, Henri. Update on the status of army integration in the DRC. Institute for Security Studies, 2005. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/050902DRC.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Boshoff |first1=Henri |title=Update on the status of army integration in the DRC |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2 September 2005 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/050902DRC.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{boshoff2005update, author = {Boshoff, Henri}, title = {{Update on the status of army integration in the DRC}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2005}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/050902DRC.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }