Pro-Government Militias
White Legion (Congo Kinshasa)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 416 |
| Country: | Congo Kinshasa |
| Date formed: | Jan. 8, 1997 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The White Legion was created by President Mobutu during the First Congo War to support the Congolese Army to fight rebel forces that occupied parts of the country. Their support was supposed to only include instructing the domestic forces. However, they soon also joined the fighting alongside the Congolese army. (Wikipedia) |
| Date dissolved: | March 17, 1997 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | month |
| Details of Termination: | In spring 1997, the mercenaries were not paid by the Congolese government which is why they refused to fight from this point on. Furthermore, internal quarrels between the French and Serb mercenaries developed. In March 1997, a source reports that the militia defected and began fighting against the Congolese army. (Wikipedia) |
| Termination Type(s): | PGM defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | NA |
| Former Rebel Group? | NA |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | unclear |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister; state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | no |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | mercenary; ex soldiers; foreign nationals |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Kisangani |
| Force Strength: | [200, 400] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; aid workers |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | President Mobutu employed the militia to fight against the rebel forces in the Kivu province. As his army was too weak to tackle the task, he initially wanted to use the foreign ex-soldiers to train his own army. Eventually, the White Legion also participated in military operations. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | knowledge |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The mercenaries harassed civilians on the street and used violence against them. The government did not interfere as they needed the militia to fight the rebels in the Kivu province. (Wikipedia) |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | Members of the militia were foreign nationals coming from Europe and other African countries. They were being paid by President Mobutu and stopped fighting after payment was stopped. |
| PGM Members Killed? | never |
PGM Size
| Size: | The militia is comprised of 200 to 400 mercenaries. In addition, President Mobutu tried to recruit more fighters, but he was not able to expand the militia. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The militia was initially employed by Mobutu to train the domestic army. However, they soon joined the fighting alongside the army with their own equipment. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The White Legion was commanded by Colonel Jugoslav Petrusic from Serbia. He and the Serbian militia members were fighters in the Bosnian War and Petrusic had good connections to the French military who were also involved in the White Legion. Lieutenant Milorad Pelemis from France was the deputy commander of the militia. The group received a salary from the Congolese government which was the members’ only incentive to fight for Mobutu. (Wikipedia) |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.