This discussion paper aims at highlighting the relevance, challenges and limits of the so-called “FRPI peace process” for the future of stabilization and peace initiatives in the eastern DRC.
Insecure livelihoods series
Introducing the Insecure Livelihoods project
If we can draw one overarching conclusion from violent conflict in eastern Congo, it is the growing disconnect between the existing international conflict response toolkit and the complexity of violent conflict on the ground.
The struggles for power over people, territory, and resources in the DRC take place at different scales (local, national, regional, international) and cut across diverse social and political networks. They often turn violent and their outcomes are often unpredictable, making insecurity and uncertainty central characteristics of eastern Congo’s political and social landscape.
Consequently, one-size-fits-all approaches to conflict resolution and management are unlikely to work. The overwhelming yet under-addressed need to manage conflict complexity, including transnational dynamics and the proliferation of non-state actors in conflict, is at the core of current policy debates about types and ranges of interventions by international and regional organizations and has particular relevance for stabilisation efforts in the DRC.
Driven by the aim to bridge this gap, the Insecure Livelihoods Series publishes independent, regular and field-driven information and analysis on the complexity of conflict and security. The Insecure Livelihoods reports are based on independent, non-partisan collaborative research and co-published by the Governance in Conflict Network (GIC), Conflict Research Group (CRG, Ghent)) and the Groupe d’Etudes sur les Conflits et la Sécurité Humaine (GEC-SH, Bukavu).
Using a socio-anthropological approach to violent conflict, the Insecure Livelihoods Series start from the recognition that the causes of violent conflict are to be located in numerous interconnected socio-cultural, economic, and political factors, and is designed to capture this complexity. The project focuses on the strategies employed by actors who possess the capacity to mobilise social groups around political and socio-economic issues and who may thus function as either driving or mitigating actors of conflict. The series recognises that in eastern Congo, conflict and violence are often linked to the competition between different power networks. over resources, territory and political authority. A key characteristic of these networks – as is the case with the networks of the Congo wars – is that they are unstable, changing, and constantly adapting and multi-scalar in essence. The Insecure Livelihoods Series therefore acknowledges that while violent conflicts are often localised, they are closely linked to national, regional, and international dynamics.
the reports
Guerres externalisées et luttes internes
La situation autour de Kitchanga, centre urbanisé aux marges des terri- toires de Rutshuru et Masisi au Nord-Kivu, demeure instable malgré les efforts considérables de stabilisation et d’analyse. Dans ce rapport, Kitchanga est considéré la plaque tournante d’un complexe géographique et socio- politique plus large, regroupant les chefferies de Bwito et Bashali.
Violence et Instabilité en Ituri
Ce rapport analyse la série d’attaques perpétrées en Ituri, dans le territoire de Djugu et ses environs, depuis fin 2017. En s’appuyant sur une analyse histo- rique et récente du conflit, il met en évidence des déclencheurs récents de la crise en cours, néanmoins enracinés dans une longue durée de tensions foncières, économiques et territoriales, souvent inscrites dans des binaires ethniques.
Mayhem in the mountains
This report analyses the history and causes of the escalation of violence on the Hauts Plateaux, a mountainous area located in South Kivu Province, eastern Congo. It argues that this violence can be ascribed to four mechanisms.
La paix des armes in North Kalehe. Stabilization, Demobilization And The Continuous Reconfiguration Of Armed Groups
This report analyses the security situation in North Kalehe, which is characterized by the presence of armed groups and the near absence of government military forces.
The Ruzizi Plain. A Crossroads of Conflict and Violence
The Ruzizi Plain in South Kivu Province has been the theatre of ongoing conflicts and violence for over two decades. Patterns and dynamics of conflicts and violence have significantly evolved over time. Historically, conflict dynamics have largely centred on disputed customary authority – often framed in terms of intercommunity conflict.
Proxy Wars and the Dawn of Godfathers
Despite significant stabilization efforts and analysis, the situation around Kitchanga – sitting on the edges of Rutshuru and Masisi territories in North Kivu – remains volatile. This report understands Kitchanga as part of a broader geographical and socio-political complex, including the Bwito and Bashali chieftaincies.
Violence and Instability in Ituri
This first report analyses the string of attacks in and around Djugu territory in Ituri since late 2017. Based on both historical and recent conflict analysis, it finds recent and concrete triggers of the ongoing crisis, nonetheless rooted in protracted tension over land, livelihood and territory, often framed in ethnic binaries.