Convincing Rebel Fighters to Disarm : UN Information Operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo

One of the key mission objectives of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) was to disarm and repatriate foreign combatants in the eastern region of the country. To achieve this, MONUC adopted a „push and pull" strategy. This involved applying military pressure while at the same time offering opportunities for voluntary disarmament and repatriation for armed combatants of the elusive but deadly Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) – a predominantly Rwandan Hutu armed group in eastern DRC. As part of its "pull" strategy, MONUC embarked on one of the most sophisticated Information Operations (IO) campaigns in UN history with the core objective of convincing thousands of individual combatants and commanders of the FDLR to voluntarily disarm and join the UN’s Demobilization, Disarmament, Repatriation, Resettlement and Reintegration programme (DDRRR). This book is derived from studies of the narratives, coordination and effectiveness of the UN’s IO in support of DDRRR and how the UN has integrated IO as part of its Mission peace support operations. This book advances contemporary understanding of the relative importance of communication models and their interactions within conflict settings. It provides instruments with which conflict and communication analysts can compare predictions and rationalize Information impacts for future conflicts. **About the author** **Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob** teaches Communications & Media Studies at the American University of Nigeria. He earned his PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Abbreviations Preface 1 From Peace Propaganda to Information Intervention 1.1 Information Intervention in History 1.2 Metzl’s Concept of Information Intervention: Clearing Conceptual Landscapes 1.3 Reactionary and Developmental Information Intervention 1.4 “Phase II” Information Intervention in the DRC 2 A Foucauldian View of UN Information Intervention 3 The Liberal Institutionalist Foundations of Post–Cold War UN Information Operations 4 Between Propaganda and UN’s Public Information Operations 4.1 The UN “Propaganda” Doctrine 4.2 Outsourcing “Peace Propaganda”: UN Partnership with NGOs 5 A Brief History of Ethnicity, Conflicts and Crisis of Citizenship in the DRC 5.1 The Roots, Tactics and Ethnic Motivations of the “First DRC War” 5.2 Rwandan Roots of the Congolese Conflict 5. 3 The FDLR 5.4 South Kivu: Autochtonie and the Crises of Citizenship 5.5 Brief Notes on Key Flash Points in the DRC 6 From Authenticity to Governmentality: A Brief History of the Media in the DRC 6.1 Era of the “Authentic” Media 6.2 Era of Débrouillez-vous (1990–1997) 6.3 Era of Official Silence, Repression and Coupage (1997–2001) 6.4 Era of Intervention and Governmentality (2001–) 7 Radio Okapi: The Making of a “Congolese Voice” 7.1 Creation of Radio Okapi: The IGO/NGO Mix 7.2 Mandate and Funding 7.3 Challenges 7.4 Sustainability 7.5 News and Information Programmes 8 Information Operations: Contents and Metrics of Effectiveness 8.1 Between Dialogue and Gutahuka: Streamlining the Debates 8.2 Ethical Foundations of Hirondelle Foundation’s Approach 8.3 Conceptualizing Hirondelle Foundation’s “Informative Approach” in Conflict Zones 8.4 MONUC’s Approach to DDRRR 8.5 Gutahuka Soft Follow-up Actions 8.6 Research Impacts of Communication Interventions 8.7 Ontological Foundations of Public Information Research Design 8.8 Sampling Design 8.9 Sampling Groups 8.10 Summary of Procedure 8.11 Ethical Considerations 8.12 Networks and Contexts of Research: Defining the Mixes 8.13 Order of Focus Group Discussion and Moderator Guide 8.14 Specific Topics for Discussion 9 Local Meanings and Perceptions of UN Information Interventions Programmes 9.1 Radio Listening in South Kivu 9.2 Re-Stating Purpose of Research 9.3 Purpose as per Ethnic and Listening Groups 9.4 Focus Group Participants 9.5 Focus Group Design 9.6 Focus Group Plan and Organization 9.7 Question Design 9.8 Framework for Data Analysis 9.9 Analysis of Focus Group Discussions 10 No Intention to Return to Rwanda 10.1 Defining Determinants of Planned Behaviour 10.2 Hutu Participants’ Attitude towards Repatriation to Rwanda 10.3 Emerging Issues 11 Impacts of Dialogue Entre Congolais 11.1 Topical Issues Treated in Dialogue 11.2 Discussion of Dialogue Listeners’ Perceptions of Descriptive Transformations 11.3 Process of Perception Change in Dialogue Groups 12 “Hutus are the ones that have kept us where we are today”: When Psyops Backfire 12.1 Contending Realities in Narrative Frameworks of Dialogue and Gutahuka 13 Revisiting Unfinished Debates on Information Intervention 13.1 Final Word 13.2 End Note: Reflections of an Outsider Researcher Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Bibliography One of the key mission objectives of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) was to disarm and repatriate foreign combatants in the eastern region of the country. To achieve this, MONUC adopted a "push and pull" strategy. This involved applying military pressure while at the same time offering opportunities for voluntary disarmament and repatriation for armed combatants of the elusive but deadly Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) - a predominantly Rwandan Hutu armed group in eastern DRC. As part of its "pull" strategy, MONUC embarked on one of the most sophisticated Information Operations (IO) campaigns in UN history with the core objective of convincing thousands of individual combatants and commanders of the FDLR to voluntarily disarm and join the UN's Demobilization, Disarmament, Repatriation, Resettlement and Reintegration programme (DDRRR). This book is derived from studies of the narratives, coordination and effectiveness of the UN's IO in support of DDRRR and how the UN has integrated IO as part of its Mission peace support operations. This book advances contemporary understanding of the relative importance of communication models and their interactions within conflict settings. It provides instruments with which conflict and communication analysts can compare predictions and rationalize Information impacts for future conflicts. About the author Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob teaches Communications etamp; Media Studies at the American University of Nigeria. He earned his PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom One of the key objectives of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo was to disarm and repatriate foreign combatants through a "push & pull" strategy involving the application of military pressure while at the same time offering opportunities for voluntary disarmament. This work shows how the UN successfully integrated Information Operations as part of its Peace Support Operations and provides instruments for tackling future conflicts.