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.
La République démocratique du Congo a une longue histoire d’engagement dans les processus de DDR et de JT dans le but de résoudre les conflits armés et de combattre l’impunité pour les violations des droits de l’homme mais, jusqu’à récemment, peu d’efforts ont été faits pour construire des ponts entre les deux.
This study looks at gender integration and peacebuilding in eastern DR Congo, more precisely in the territory of Uvira in South Kivu. To produce a scientific analysis, we asked ourselves one main question: how do local women’s committees contribute to and participate in peacebuilding?
The DR Congo has a long history of engagement in both DDR and TJ processes in an effort to resolve the armed conflicts and combat impunity for human rights violations but, until recently, little effort was made to build bridges between both.
L’objectif de ce rapport est de mieux comprendre comment le genre peut influencer les réalités des ex-combattantes lors de leur démobilisation et de leur réinsertion. Il s’agit ensuite de développer une compréhension plus approfondie de la façon dont le genre est perçu et compris dans un contexte congolais, afin de proposer des recommandations pour la mise en œuvre réussie d’une stratégie genre dans le P-DDRCS.
S’appuyant sur la théorie de l’acteur-réseaux, qui intègre les non humains dans les relations des acteurs sociaux, nous visons à comprendre le rôle que joue la ressource dans la production des normes pratiques dans l’arène halieutique. Il ressort que l’accès aux ressources halieutiques au lac Kivu s’accompagne de plusieurs acteurs et il existe des normes pratiques qui régulent leurs pratiques.
This report investigates the experiences of former female combatants during their time in an armed group as well as their experiences after demobilizing, whether through a formal DDR process or not. The aim of this report is to gain a deeper understanding of how gender can influence the realities of women ex-combatants as they demobilize and reintegrate.
Ce rapport fournit une analyse des tendances et dynamiques régionales affectant la crise actuelle dans l’Est de la RDC. Les efforts régionaux pour faire face à la crise n’ont jamais été aussi importants et impliquent des rôles de premier plan pour les principales organisations de la région : la CAE, la SADC, la CIRGL et, de plus en plus, l’UA.
Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by United Nations (UN) personnel was first documented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2004 and has since been a violation the organization has been criticized for. Addressing the case of the eastern DRC, this paper attempts to find new ways of addressing SEA by focusing on grassroots solutions and the perspectives of diverse actors.
Ce rapport analyse l’état de siège déclaré dans les provinces du Nord-Kivu et de l’Ituri depuis 2021. Cette politique du gouvernement congolais est considérée comme un échec, car les efforts du gouvernement pour reprendre le contrôle de son territoire et résoudre les problèmes de sécurité n’ont pas abouti.
This report analyses the state of siege declared in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri since 2021. This Congolese government policy is deemed a failure, as the government’s efforts to reclaim control over its territory and address security issues have fallen short.
