Managing the battle space: Women on the frontline in eastern DRC

The report examines the precarious lives of women linked to rebel and militia groups in eastern DRC, arguing that these women are often less dependent on their partners than assumed and instead rely on opportunistic coping strategies. It highlights their role in the illegal trade of natural resources and the failure of national disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) policies to account for female dependants, which perpetuates a cycle of conflict for subsequent generations.

• Women associated with non-state armed combatants in South Kivu often operate independently of their partners for survival, as their 'husbands' are frequently absent due to combat.
• Female associates of armed groups play a critical role in the illicit gold trade, acting as trusted conduits to move minerals from mines to markets in Bukavu, Uvira, and Bujumbura.
• Women employ diverse coping strategies to survive in a high-risk environment where they face social stigma and the threat of violence from state agencies or enemy groups.
• Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programmes in the DRC have failed to incorporate the interests of female dependants, leading some women to falsely present themselves as combatants to access benefits.
• The lack of community and state support for these women creates a cyclical pattern of conflict, as children born into these circumstances often become militia or rebel members themselves.
• In South Kivu, marrying a non-state armed combatant is often viewed as a strategic choice for young women to obtain protection, social status, or access to resources controlled by armed groups.

APA

Alusala, N. (2016). Managing the battle space: Women on the frontline in eastern DRC. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CentralAfricaReportNo4.pdf

Chicago

Alusala, Nelson. Managing the battle space: Women on the frontline in eastern DRC. Institute for Security Studies, 2016. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CentralAfricaReportNo4.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Alusala |first1=Nelson |title=Managing the battle space: Women on the frontline in eastern DRC |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=January 2016 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CentralAfricaReportNo4.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alusala2016managing, author = {Alusala, Nelson}, title = {{Managing the battle space: Women on the frontline in eastern DRC}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CentralAfricaReportNo4.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }