Congo: Nonviolent Struggle in the DRC. Making Sense of the Consent Theory of Power

IF 0.2 Q4 POLITICAL SCIENCE
Jean-Marie Kasonga Mbombo
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The history of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is awash with resistance against systemic exploitation of the country’s huge mineral resources by foreign powers, coupled with repression of local population by subsequent regimes. This paper seeks to address the question as to why public withdrawal of consent does not necessarily cause the change of political power in line with the aspirations of the vast majority of citizens. The case study adopts an argumentative approach based on secondary data. The study reveals that the consent of the suffering masses is meaningless as far as regime change is concerned. In other words the survival of repressive regimes is contingent upon the submission of a co-opted few around the seat of power, the cooperation of hired agents of violence and the support of powerful multinationals that have vested interests in the status quo. In the light of Agency theory, it is argued that the success of nonviolent struggle against unpopular regimes depends on the astuteness of unarmed demonstrators to reach out to the agents of legitimate violence with an olive branch so as to not only bridge the distance between them but also turn them into partners for change. As a way forward, the study recommended a broad understanding of the concept of Civil-Military Relations that goes beyond elite framing.
刚果:刚果民主共和国的非暴力斗争。理解权力的同意理论
刚果民主共和国(DRC)的历史充满了对外国势力对该国巨大矿产资源的系统性开采的抵制,以及随后政权对当地居民的镇压。本文试图解决这样一个问题,即为什么公众撤回同意并不一定会导致政治权力的变化符合绝大多数公民的愿望。案例研究采用基于二手数据的论证方法。研究表明,就政权更迭而言,苦难群众的同意是毫无意义的。换句话说,压制性政权的生存取决于权力中心周围的少数人的服从,雇佣的暴力代理人的合作以及在现状中拥有既得利益的强大跨国公司的支持。根据代理理论,有人认为,非暴力斗争反对不受欢迎的政权的成功取决于非武装示威者的精明,他们向合法的暴力代理人伸出橄榄枝,不仅可以弥合他们之间的距离,还可以将他们变成变革的伙伴。作为前进的道路,该研究建议对军民关系的概念有一个广泛的理解,而不是精英框架。
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来源期刊
Conflict Studies Quarterly
Conflict Studies Quarterly POLITICAL SCIENCE-
自引率
33.30%
发文量
17
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