Print ISS WORKSHOP REPORT fin ? pager

This report documents a workshop held in Kinshasa from May 17 to 19, 2004, organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and Labor Optimus. The event brought together a delegation of SADC (Southern African Development Community) guests and officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to share regional experiences on military restructuring, demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration (DDR) to support the DRC's peace process.

• The DRC Vice-Minister for Defence identified several core challenges in integrating different forces, emphasizing the need for a new Congolese soldier who is "Professional", "Apolitical", "Patriotic", and "Selfless/Ready to sacrifice his life". He posed ten critical questions for the integration process, covering the weight of various forces, rank distribution, ethnic and provincial equilibrium, and the "Apolitization of the Army".
• SADC delegates from Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa shared that military reform has no "universal formula", but highlighted that success depends on political will, reconciliation policies, and trust between the government and ex-rebels. For example, Mozambique's experience showed that the restructuring process required "favoring confidence between the Government and the ex-rebels".
• The General Army Commander of the Congolese Army, Admiral Liwanga, identified two primary difficulties in the security sector transformation: the infiltration of "Rwandese troops into the DRC" into the Congolese Army, and the "interference of politicians in military matters", which undermines the independence of the Army.
• Defence attachés from Zimbabwe and South Africa observed that the DRC's process is hindered by a lack of central control over the territory, "Parallel Command structures", and an "Over-reliance on external Western powers such as the Belgians, French, US and Germans". They noted an urgent need for a formal Defence Policy.
• Independent observers reported that the integration process is currently limited to the general level, while at the troop level, "the troops are not integrating and everybody is holding to his force". They further described the logistics of the military—including transport, pay, and rations—as being "in shambles".
• Congolese participants suggested that the government should prioritize mobilizing resources, developing a "National defence policy that is inclusion of all", and normalizing relationships with neighboring countries to ensure lasting peace.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Print ISS WORKSHOP REPORT fin ? pager. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SOLIDARITYDEFENCEPROG.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Print ISS WORKSHOP REPORT fin ? pager. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SOLIDARITYDEFENCEPROG.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Print ISS WORKSHOP REPORT fin ? pager |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SOLIDARITYDEFENCEPROG.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndprint, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Print ISS WORKSHOP REPORT fin ? pager}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SOLIDARITYDEFENCEPROG.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }