Peer-Reviewed Article December 31, 2015
Centralising rents and dispersing power while pursuing development? Exploring the strategic uses of military firms in Rwanda
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Published in: Review of African Political Economy
Publisher: Taylor & Francis • South Africa • 0305-6244 • 1740-1720
Abstract
ABSTRACT The Rwandan Patriotic Front has achieved significant economic progress while also maintaining political stability. However, frictions among ruling elites have threatened progress. This paper explores the use of military firms in Rwanda. Such firms are used to invest in strategic industries, but the use of such firms reflects the vulnerability faced by ruling elites. Military firms serve two related purposes. First, ruling elites use such firms to centralise rents and invest in strategic sectors. Second, the proliferation of such enterprises and the separation of party- and military-owned firms contribute to dispersing power within a centralised hierarchy.