From the Publisher
“With great clarity and insight, Jason Stearns explains how, despite its best intentions, the post–Cold War liberal model of peacemaking sometimes contributes to the persistence of unrest and violence. A fascinating and eye-opening account of the Congolese conflict—and what it signals for the future of conflict in general.”—Stathis Kalyvas, author of The Logic of Violence in Civil War
“A tour de force on the Congo’s forever war by one of the world’s leading experts on violence. This book is dripping with intimate details and bold arguments that reflect Jason Stearns’s extensive engagement with the Congo. Stearns upends conventional wisdom while offering a nuanced and detailed take on a struggle that can often appear indecipherable. Penetrating, perceptive, and deeply personal, this book is a model for engaged and compassionate research on one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.”—Zachariah Mampilly, author of Rebel Rulers: Insurgent Governance and Civilian Life during War
“This masterful book substantially advances the understanding of long-running conflicts like that in the eastern Congo as a social phenomenon and is one of the very few fieldwork-based investigations into the inner workings of the main armed groups in the Congo's conflict. Stearns provides unique insight into how these armed groups work, including a fascinating analysis of how they adapt to the context around them as they pursue interests in prolonging insecurity and uncertainty. This book will considerably advance the growing field of research on civil wars.”—Will Reno, author of Warfare in Independent Africa
"Jason Stearns has written a fascinating and detailed account of how and why the war in the Congo has endured.
The War That Doesn't Say Its Name combines a deep study of the conflict with an important set of broader implications for successfully building peace."
—Paul Staniland, author of Networks of Rebellion: Explaining Insurgent Cohesion and Collapse