Public Radio International features new research by Assistant Professor of Politics and Global Affairs Rachel Sweet.
Sweet investigates business dealings between the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD), the largest rebel group in the Second Congo War, and private businesses. Drawing on unprecedented data—the internal records of armed groups and their trading partners—Sweet examines how rebels use state agencies in conflict zones to manufacture a legal cover for wartime trade. Her findings, published in International Organization journal, reveal that rebels connect to global economies not by evading the state but by infiltrating its institutions.
Originally published at pri.org on May 11, 2021
