Social and Economic Network Dynamics in Eastern DRC Conflict Zones


Journal of Computer and Communication Networks

Received On : 10 March 2025

Revised On : 18 April 2025

Accepted On : 20 May 2025

Published On : 06 June 2025

Volume 01, 2025

Pages : 119-128


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DOI
https://doi.org/10.64026/JCCN/2025012
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Abstract

Social networks have a strong impact on economic interactions since they determine how information and resources are exchanged in a community. These high levels of homophily can enhance social cohesiveness and trust, which is important in promoting economic exchange and cooperation within the groups in areas of conflict such as Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In addition, people with high centrality and brokerage capacities are strategic in bridging different groups and sectors, improving economic linkages and robustness. This paper aims to explore the nature of social networks and economic exchange in the conflict-affected areas of Eastern DRC while focusing on homophily, centrality, and multilevel brokerage. By administering questionnaires to civilians, demobilized combatants, and active combatants, the research collects data on social relations and economic engagements. The results also show that all the subgroups are highly homogeneous; however, the most central and capable of brokerage are the active combatants. Blau’s H index shows how individuals can mediate between different armed groups and economic sectors, which indicates their promise for conflict and economic mediation. This study highlights the importance of comprehending social network structures in order to design interventions to foster social connectedness and economic stability in conflict-prone regions.

Keywords

Social Network Analysis, Economic Interactions, Degree Centrality Measurement, Social Connectedness and Economic Stability, Network Modeling.

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Cite this Article

Geim Sllian, “Social and Economic Network Dynamics in Eastern DRC Conflict Zones”, Journal of Computer and Communication Networks, pp. 119-128, 2025, doi: 10.64026/JCCN/2025012.

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© 2025 Geim Sllian. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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