Roadblocks ‘at the rhythm of the country’: Predation and beyond in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

This report analyses the phenomenon of roadblocks in South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Departing from a socio-anthropo-logical approach, the report argues that roadblocks are sites where a varietyof state and non-state actors interact with each other and with the popu-lation. The report shows that roadblocks are more than just instruments ofpredation. Over time roadblocks have become part of the socio-economiclandscape in eastern DRC and function as sites of social regulation in thecontext of state fragility. Finally, the report highlights the paradox thatpeople both support the maintenance and removal of these roadblocks, thusopening up a debate on their future in South Kivu and DRC more broadly.