scholarly journals Peacebuilding as State Building? Lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

2020 ◽  
pp. 295-320
Author(s):  
Rachel Sweet
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
State Building ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
The Other ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Un Peacekeeping ◽  
The Future ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
North Kivu

Abstract This chapter on the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a comparative study of two major intervention attempts of the UN Peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) in different theaters of conflict in North Kivu: one that was seen as a success (against the M23 rebellion, 2012–2013), and the other a failure (against the ADF rebellion, 2014–present). The chapter examines how differences in armed groups’ social embedment within local communities shaped resistance against the intervention and produced these varied outcomes of success/failure. The comparison allows for the examination of an emerging trend in peacekeeping—its militarization—as well as a consideration of how differences in civilian relations shape the possibility for peacebuilding. As the largest mission in UN history, these experiences offer empirical lessons for thinking about the future trajectory of peacebuilding.

Protection of Civilians

2021 ◽  
pp. 261-274
Author(s):  
Walt Kilroy
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Peace Operations ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Un Peacekeeping ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

The protection of civilians was first included the mandate of a UN peacekeeping operation in 1999, and has since become a standard item on the list of tasks for integrated missions. The wording of the mandates has also become more ambitious, and force is not only permitted but has been used in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in tackling armed groups that were preying on civilians. Protecting civilians from direct physical violence is not simply a military matter, and it includes promoting political processes and improving the human rights environment. But the possibility of UN peacekeepers using force is a further step in the fundamental changes seen in peace operations since they began as a cautious, neutral presence where peace was already in place. Protecting civilians goes to the heart of peacekeeping, with very real dilemmas on whether and how to act. There can be significant consequences for civilians and conflict dynamics, whatever decisions are made.

scholarly journals Show solidarity with the Congolese people in the 10th Ebola outbreak declared a health emergency of international concern: understand a qualitative study of variables of hospital activities on infection control practices in Kinshasa city

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guyguy Kabundi Tshima ◽  
Kaleb Tshimungu Kalala
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
The Other ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
North Kivu

AbstractHealth workers play an important role during epidemics, but there is limited research on hospital activities on infection control practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and how health workers can cope during a probable health epidemic in Kinshasa city. The determinants of the current Ebola Virus Disease in the geographical distribution remain poorly understood. The World Health Organization’s Health Regulation Committee decided on Wednesday July 17th, 2019 to declare the Ebola haemorrhagic fever epidemic in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri as a health emergency of international concern. The country struggles to control it against a backdrop of a health system that is already overburdened. To test the influence of the challenges of a contamination in the context of an Ebola outbreak that may face health workers and their coping strategies in thirteen hospitals of reference in Kinshasa, we conducted a survey hoping to educate or remember good practices for health workers in Kinshasa that is also available for health workers in the East Area of the country in which the ongoing Ebola outbreak progress is spreading (North Kivu and Ituri). For the ongoing outbreak, we obtained data from the Ministère de la Santé Publique of the Democratic Republic of the Congo where cases are classified as suspected, probable, or confirmed using national case definitions. We found that the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has similar epidemiological features to previous Ebola virus disease outbreak in Sierra Leone that was well described. For the qualitative study about the biosecurity in thirteen hospitals of reference in Kinshasa, we found that the Bondeko-Ngaliema Monkole group has occupied the first rank, while the group Kintambo-King Baudouin-Ndjili-Makala occupied the other end of the scale; the other health facilities occupied an intermediate position. Among the 7 hospitals which were placed at the top of this classification of biosecurity, 5 were massively subsidized by international NGO, which explains to a great extent their performances in one hand, another hand finding its explanation in the quality of their management. It is the case of Bondeko, Monkole, Kalembe-Lembe, St Joseph and Kingasani 2.Author summaryThe determinants of the transmission are poorly understood, but a growing body of evidence supports an important role of the lack of prevention in the dissemination of Ebola virus. The results of our study conducted in 13 hospitals of reference in Kinshasa suggest that the biosecurity measures—which were introduced in Kinshasa hospitals policies through prevention since Ebola outbreaks—have been respected by 75% and had 25% of parameters to be improved. Biosecurity is an important concept; it seems to be a vector for the prevention of Ebola Virus Disease. In addition, the lack of biosecurity observation may have a role in the contamination of Ebola Virus Disease in local populations found in invaded areas. This study provides knowledge into the preventive measures influencing Ebola Virus Disease populations, thereby determining in perspective a study on meat consumption of animals found dead in forests that will be a risk for human infection as the Democratic Republic of the Congo has many forests.

scholarly journals Cows and guns. Cattle-related conflict and armed violence in Fizi and Itombwe, eastern DR Congo

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Verweijen ◽  
Justine Brabant
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
The Other ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Dr Congo ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Armed Violence ◽  
The One ◽  
Conflict Narratives

ABSTRACTThis paper analyses the role of cattle in the entwined dynamics of conflict and violence in the Fizi and Itombwe region of South Kivu province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. On the one hand, agropastoral conflict intensifies armed mobilisation, allowing armed groups to draw upon particular conflict narratives that generate popular and elite support. It also creates incentives for armed actors to engage in cattle-looting, or the defence against it, for both symbolic and material reasons. On the other hand, the presence of armed forces and the use of violence profoundly shape agropastoral conflicts. Importantly, they change the perceived stakes of these conflicts, and hamper their resolution. By showing that the relations between cattle-related conflict and armed activity are indirect, complex and mutual, the paper refines both theories on agropastoral conflict and those highlighting the role of local conflicts in fuelling violence in the eastern Congo.

Competition for resources to escalate violence in DRC

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
The North ◽  
Un Peacekeeping ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
South Kivu ◽  
North Kivu ◽  
Competition For Resources

Subject Eastern DRC violence outlook. Significance By late August, nearly 192,000 people were internally displaced in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). High levels of violence and attacks on civilians are in part driving these displacements. As the DRC heads towards a political crisis, opportunities to leverage violence in pursuit of political gains raises the risk of greater unrest in the east of the country. Impacts Divisions in the FDLR raises the risk of Rwandan intervention in the DRC. The presence of Burundian rebels in South Kivu could regionalise the DRC's instability. The UN peacekeeping mission will struggle to manage smaller, more fragmented groups and will appear unfit for purpose.

Kitagohaite, Pt7Cu, a new mineral from the Lubero region, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

2014 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Cabral ◽  
R. Skála ◽  
A. Vymazalová ◽  
A. Kallistová ◽  
B. Lehmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Vickers Hardness ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
New Mineral ◽  
Calculated Density ◽  
Reflected Light ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Mohs Hardness ◽  
North Kivu

AbstractKitagohaite, ideally Pt7Cu, is a new mineral from the Lubero region of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The mineral occurs as alluvial grains that were recovered together with other Pt-rich intermetallic compounds and Au. Kitagohaite is opaque, greyish white and malleable and has a metallic lustre and a grey streak. In reflected light, kitagohaite is white and isotropic. The crystal structure of kitagohaite is cubic, space group Fmm, of the Ca7Ge type, with a = 7.7891(3) Å, V = 472.57(5) Å3 and Z = 4. The strongest diffraction lines [d in Å(I)(hkl)] are: 2.246 (100)(222), 1.948(8)(004), 1.377 (77)(044), 1.174(27)(622), 1.123 (31)(444) and 0.893 (13)(662). The Vickers hardness is 217 kg mm−2 (VHN100), which is equivalent to a Mohs hardness of 3½ and the calculated density is 19.958(2) g cm−3. Electron-microprobe analyses gave a mean value (n = 13) of 95.49 wt.% Pt and 4.78 wt.%Cu, which corresponds to Pt6.93Cu1.07 on the basis of eight atoms. The new mineral is named for the Kitagoha river, in the Lubero region.

scholarly journals Repenser Le Rôle Des Institutions De Conservation De La Nature À L’ère De La Globalisation En Afrique: À Propos Du Parc National De La Salonga (RDC)

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Mampeta Wabasa Salomon
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
The Other ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Contemporary Management

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the protectionist conservatism influenced by colonialism, which exploited African countries for the prosperity of the colonizing countries, still has a high visibility in the Salonga National Park (PNS). If, in theory, the Central Africans seem to free themselves from the colonial powers on their land, in practice they are still there. The hostility of settlers who have become neo-colonists to the development of Central Africa remains intact, he adds (Ndinga, 2003). This reflects a "logic from above" that has disregarded local values. Yet, in the era of sustainable development and globalization, African protected areas appear to be essential tools for States to reposition themselves in a complex set of actors with the aim of capturing and using the new environmental rent (Giraut, Guyot, & Houssay-Holzschuch, 2003). This is a "bottom-up logic", placing people at the heart of all activities and aiming to reorganize their long-term relationships with the environment. From these two logics, a third "logic from the other side" emerges, reflecting a collective awareness of the fragility of the planet. The restoration of the rights of Africans in the various national frameworks constitutes a major challenge for the contemporary management of African protected areas. Because the protected areas inherited from the different colonial systems must accompany the change in management methods and the redefinition of their functions in order to better serve the local community in the long-term.

scholarly journals Who is Responsible for Instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

2014 ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
G. M. Sidorova
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

The research focuses on the problem of military-political instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo experiencing continued armed conflict for a long time. Dozens of illegal armed groups both Congolese and foreign origin continue to destabilize situation in the eastern part of the country causing humanitarian disasters. Due to governmental weakness, economic backwardness, chronical lack of finance resources, interethnic conflicts, all-round and widely spread corruption of the authorities, the Congolese government at the moment is not able to overcome scores of problems including the problem of security. Assistanceprovided to the DRC by itspartnerssuch as, first of all, the former metropolitan country Belgium, as well as the USA, Great Britain, the Europe Union and China works only in favourof these country-donors. They are attracted by rich Congolese natural resources which the DRC remaining one of the poorest countries in the world cannot turn to advantage to the full extent because of its economic backwardness. In exchange for so-calleddevelopment programmes, expensive strategic raw material (such as coltan, wolfram, casseterit, cooper, gold, niobium, and other) is being extracted and exported from the country, in addition, often on the inequivalent basis. This is taking place for the reason that numerous mines and open-cast mines are being controlled by different illegal armed groups and not by the central government. Therefore, it turns out that in the context of a military-political crisis, for so-called partners it is more beneficial to pursue their own interests. Furthermore, western ideologists arouse "separatism-oriented" theories similar to "balkanization", in other words, a breakdown of this giant country into several independent states. The Congolese are tremulous to this issue, they try to counter such approachs and defend the territorial integrity of the DRC. However, it is not an easy task. The impediment is unsettled relations with neighbouring countries - Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi which for tens of years exploit illegally natural resources of the DRC and try to lay hold of frontier Congolese territories.

The Visual Framing of ‘Failed’ States: Afro-Pessimism vs Afro-Optimism

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 318-335
Author(s):  
Olli Hellmann
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
The Other ◽  
Failed States ◽  
Failed State ◽  
Visual Narratives ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Visual Framing ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

The ‘failed state’ frame equates the collapse of formal state institutions with violent anarchy and destructive chaos. By analysing newspaper imagery of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia through a multi-method research design, this article shows that tabloid newspapers are significantly more likely to adopt the ‘failed state’ frame than broadsheet newspapers. Visual narratives in the latter, on the other hand, tend to shift the focus away from issues of violence and instability, emphasizing instead the ability of alternative forms of governance to organize social and economic life. Of wider significance, the article therefore also shows that tabloids feed Afro-pessimism discourses to a much greater extent than broadsheets, which visualize Africa in more positive terms.

scholarly journals ‘Who Can Sing the Song of MSF?’

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-39
Author(s):  
Myfanwy James
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Security Management ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Local Staff ◽  
Conflict Processes ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
External Pressures ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
North Kivu

This article explores the everyday practice of security management and negotiations for access conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Based on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews and archival exploration, it examines the experience of MSF Congolese employees, who navigate a complex politics of humanitarian fixing and brokerage. Their role in MSF is simultaneously defined and circumscribed by their political and social situation. MSF’s security management relies on local staff’s interpersonal networks and on their ability to interpret and translate. However, local staff find themselves at risk, or perceived as a ‘risk’: exposed to external pressures and acts of violence, while possibilities for promotion are limited precisely because of their embeddedness. They face a tension between being politically and socially embedded and needing to perform MSF’s principles in practice. As such, they embody the contradictions of MSF’s approach in North Kivu: a simultaneous need for operational ‘proximity’, as well as performative distance from everyday conflict processes.

Criminal groups hinder international peacebuilding

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Conflict Zones ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Opportunities ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
International Peacebuilding ◽  
Criminal Groups

Subject The role of criminal organisations in conflicts. Significance Criminal organisations operate in conflict zones in and across countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Colombia, Mali, Libya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have come to shape conflicts and the states involved in them. Impacts Corruption and penetration by criminal organisations undercut governments' legitimacy. This makes it difficult for them to attract private investment that would provide legal economic opportunities. Criminal organisations reduce the profit margin of legal business activities, making many unviable. Local communities then can gradually turn to illicit economic opportunities, indirectly helping to fuel conflict.

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