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Zaire THE CIVIL SECURITY APPARATUS
In the early 1990s, Zaire had two so-called forces of
order
(forces de l'ordre) above the local level: the
National
Gendarmerie and the Civil Guard. In addition, several
intelligence
and security forces operated in support of the Mobutu
regime. Their
personnel arbitrarily arrest and imprison Zairians,
although such
responsibilities are not officially within their purview.
Far from
ensuring order, Zaire's forces of order and security
forces
contribute to the disorder and lawlessness prevailing in
the early
1990s. At his behest, security forces loyal to
Mobutu--especially
the Civil Guard, which reportedly was paid more regularly
than most
other units--continued to harass the populace and the
transitional
government. In addition, individual officials continued to
prey on
the populace, extorting money and meting out arbitrary
punishment.
Data as of December 1993
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