Any discussion of Zaire's civil security apparatus would be incomplete without considering the Youth of the Popular Movement of the Revolution (Jeunesse du Mouvement Populaire de la Révolution-- JMPR) and its disciplinary arm, the Corps of Activists for the Defense of the Revolution (Corps des Activistes pour la Défense de la Révolution--CADR). Although the JMPR was a spin-off of Zaire's single, ruling political party (until the legalization of multiple parties in the early 1990s), it played a role in state security, limited, however, by the poor quality of its personnel, who were typically unemployed youths. The JMPR's main tasks were maintaining party discipline and vigilance and providing information to the state. JMPR directors had arrest powers, which CADR members also exercised from time to time. CADR members could act alone or in support of local operations by the gendarmerie or Civil Guard. Municipal administrators sometimes called on CADR elements to perform in place of the often unresponsive gendarmes who were part of the FAZ. At the same time, like the members of Zaire's other security elements, the typically unpaid and untrained young men of the CADR frequently used their positions to extract money and other resources from the local citizenry. The total strength of the CADR was unknown, but its presence was widespread, and elements of some size probably existed in nearly every municipal region prior to 1990.
Data as of December 1993