Livelihoods (DRC)

Dear Secretary-General,

As NGOs working in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we remain very concerned by the grave humanitarian situation that continues to severely affect the civilian population, characterized by persistent high levels of violence, human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law. Renewed fighting between M23 and FARDC around Goma this month highlights the significant and continuing insecurity faced by communities.

Article published on 28th February 2013, The Huffington Post

The latest agreement for peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) offers a fresh and much needed glimmer of hope for ordinary Congolese citizens suffering from two decades of violence.

For years the international community has attempted to help stabilize Eastern DRC, at the expense of billions of dollars, yet sustainable peace remains elusive. Elections in November 2011 were widely seen as lacking credibility¹ and provincial and local elections have been delayed indefinitely. There has been scant progress on critical reforms in justice, security, land and governance. Successive military campaigns have failed to remove foreign and domestic armed groups and have increased the population’s suffering causing large scale displacement.

Depuis plusieurs années la communauté internationale a essaye de stabiliser l'Est de la RDC, a un cout des milliards de dollars, mais cette paix durable continue de faire défaut. Les élections présidentielles et législatives de novembre 2011 étaient perçues comme étant peu crédibles¹ et en ce qui concerne les élections provinciales et locales, elles ont été reportées indéfiniment. Peu de progrès ont été constatés quant aux réformes cruciales dans les secteurs de la justice, la sécurité, les affaires foncières et de la gouvernance.

Location

This project, carried out by a consortium composed of CARE, FAO and International Alert, provides a combined response to the problems of poverty and instability in eastern DRC.

Since 1996, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in particular the provinces of North and South Kivu, have been the scene of internal and international armed conflict. This violence has its roots in the country’s political history and is fuelled by a particularly unstable regional context.

Full report

This study identifies disputed control over land as a root cause of conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The report focuses on conflicts between customary and state-run land tenure systems, as well as claims by some communities to “indigenous” status which are used to relegate others to “migrant” or “foreigner” status. Waves of population displacement have created overlapping claims to land, and an ongoing process of refugee return is currently increasing tensions over these claims in parts of Eastern DRC.

Full report