Paper short abstract:

Whilst Rwanda is a strong military actor, little is known about the determinants of such strength. By analysing how the Rwandan state has managed salaries in the army, we will explore the organizational and ideological drivers of the Rwandan military power.

Paper long abstract:

Rwanda is a key military power in the Great Lakes region, recognized for its effectiveness, as demonstrated by its different involvements in DRC. However, little is known about the determinants of such military strength. This paper will contribute to fill this gap by analysing how the Rwandan state has restored and managed salaries in the Rwandan army since genocide.

Non-payment of salaries arguably matters for military effectiveness, as it can be a source of great instability and indiscipline, as the case of the Congolese army has long shown. Whilst countries in the Great Lakes region have occasionally experienced problems of salary payment, Rwanda seems to have been able to systematically pay salaries on time and has even transformed salary payment into a tool of state building. It has done so despite the huge challenges the country faced in the post genocide period, such as dire lack of resources and the need to integrate a large number of ex-FAR soldiers to wage war in the DRC.

Through this analysis, we aim to shed a light on the broader phenomenon of the ideological and organizational culture of the Rwandan military force. This paper's contribution to understanding the security complex in the Great Lakes region will be double. First, it will contribute to a better understanding of the Rwandan military strength. Second, it will shed a new light on the ideological and organizational culture of the Rwandan army and draw consequences for security in the region.