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Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613964416843776 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Eckstein, Daniel |
| author2 | Lambrechts, Derica |
| author_browse | Eckstein, Daniel Lambrechts, Derica |
| author_facet | Lambrechts, Derica Eckstein, Daniel |
| author_sort | Eckstein, Daniel |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135795 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:30.757Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135795 Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo Eckstein, Daniel Lambrechts, Derica Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Eckstein, D. 2026. Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/94739287-0002-4c5e-b9e1-e63d1f9aa132 This study applies a critical geopolitical framework to examine how non-state armed groups operating within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) shape regional and international engagement with the ongoing conflict in the country. Revolving around two primary case studies, the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the research explores how these actors use critical geopolitical strategies to influence regional security dynamics and global perceptions of instability in the eastern DRC. Critical geopolitics provides a lens through which to understand how both state and non-state armed groups produce and contest geopolitical meaning. Rather than viewing conflict solely through traditional, state-centric models, this study highlights the ways in which rebel groups actively participate in constructing discourses of legitimacy, sovereignty, and intervention. Through a qualitative review of academic literature, policy reports, and media sources, the study identifies how M23 and the ADF manipulate spatial and discursive framings to achieve political, economic, and strategic objectives. The findings reveal that both groups effectively use narratives and geography to influence regional and international engagement with the conflict. M23, by drawing on ethnic identity and historical legacies linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, frames itself as a protector of marginalised populations while exploiting transnational alliances with Rwanda and Uganda to consolidate power. The ADF, conversely, employs the rhetoric of global jihad and transnational militancy to reframe local violence as part of a broader ideological struggle, attracting external attention and justifying regional military intervention. These strategies not only reinforce each group’s resilience and adaptability but also sustain the international framing of the DRC as a region of perpetual crisis and insecurity. Masters 2026-04-10T10:28:56Z 2026-04-10T10:28:56Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135795 en Stellenbosch University 135 pages : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Eckstein, Daniel Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title | Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_full | Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_fullStr | Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_short | Critical Geopolitics and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_sort | critical geopolitics and non state actors in the democratic republic of congo |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135795 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ecksteindaniel criticalgeopoliticsandnonstateactorsinthedemocraticrepublicofcongo |