‘Weapons only are not sufficient’: former Congolese soldiers’ accounts of the power of ritual practices’ in wartime

Abstract

ABSTRACT Soldiering involves a multifaceted process of training designed to erode candidates’ civilian values and instil a military culture. While weapons and modern equipment are essential for military strength, the importance of rituals, integral to both military training and warfare, should not be undermined. This article shares results derived from unstructured interviews and participant observation conducted over a span of seven months, from July 2015 to January 2016, with ex-soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo who now reside in South Africa as refugees. These soldiers have experienced these rituals firsthand. The article argues that these rituals serve as a symbolic form of mortality and pursue several objectives. In addition to offering protection to soldiers, the execution of rituals aims to enhance team cohesion and showcase soldiers’ obedience and allegiance to their superiors. The symbolic death, which symbolises shedding their civilian identity to embrace military values, prepares soldiers to embody a specific form of masculinity that is highly valued within the army. Furthermore, these rituals confer powers that transform individual soldiers, prompting them to exhibit distinctive behaviour, especially in the face of the enemy. The rituals instil a sense of assurance and safety, enveloping the initiates with otherwordly might. This study, based on accounts from former soldiers, illustrates that despite being armed with sophisticated weaponry, soldiers maintain a connection to rituals that, in their beliefs, play a crucial role in the success of their military operations, particularly on the battlefield.