‘La mère des armées n’est pas encore morte’. Des pratiques de justice (in)formelle dans les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo

By unearthing a range of punitive and restorative practices enacted outside the military justice system, this article problematizes dominant representations of “near total impunity” in the Congolese armed forces. It explores the mechanisms and logics underlying both “formal” and “informal” justice practices, as well as how these practices are “read” and experienced both by the military and civilians. In particular, it focuses on readings of levels of in/formality and the extent to which practices are seen to “bring justice” and how. This leads to the conclusion that the differences between “formal” and “informal” justice are in many respects more a matter of degree than of nature.