When we researched this, we learned that the core problem was that the soldiers were not getting paid. Barrel-sized rolls of banknotes were flown from the capital city of Kinshasa to Goma, 978 miles away. After the banknotes arrived, the generals would take most of the money. Then the colonels would have their shot at it, and they might leave a little bit for lower-ranking officers. Regular soldiers would regularly go months without seeing any pay.
