African Great Lakes

International Alert has been working in the Great Lakes region since 1995. Due to the interconnected nature of the conflicts in the region and because instability in one country has proved to impact negatively on its neighbours, our work focuses on specific countries and on the region as a whole. Recognising that women have a particular experience of conflict and a very specific role to play in peacebuilding in the region, working with them directly is a key part of our strategy.

Today our Great Lakes work has six strands:

	Burundi – In Burundi's evolving peace process, we support civil society organisations to mobilise wider engagement in peacebuilding and development. This has included work with local NGOs, the church and women's organisations. Find out more about our work in Burundi
	DRC – We work to contribute to a new political culture in post-transition DRC, emphasising inclusiveness and accountability, as well as supporting watchdog organisations and a number of women’s networks. Our DRC programme currently makes up the largest part of Alert’s work in the Great Lakes region. Find out more about our work in the DRC
	Rwanda – We have been working in Rwanda since 1996, mostly through our partnerships with women’s organisations. By equipping women with peacebuilding skills, we aim to establish a network which can resolve local conflicts and promote reconciliation. Find out more about our work in Rwanda
	Uganda – With this new project, Alert will begin working to promote increased awareness and understanding of the links between economy, conflict and peace among key stakeholders in Uganda. Find out more about our work in Uganda
	Regional work – Our work at the regional level in the Great Lakes is carried out through a combination of capacity-building, networking and support for research and advocacy. We work mainly with analysts, parliamentarians, churches and women. Find out more about our regional work
	Strategy for women in the Great Lakes – Our work with women in the Great Lakes aims to strengthen the capacities of women from different ethnic, political and social groups to engage in peacebuilding at all levels – as well as developing links between these women so they can develop a common platform for peace. Find out more about our work with women

The conflict context

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its two eastern neighbours, Rwanda and Burundi are the core countries of the Great Lakes region. Each country has its own particular set of factors and forces that cause it to be prone to violent internal conflict. There are also historic and current relationships between those countries that produce a regional system of conflict.

The scale and complexity of the various conflicts in the region is immense, and their effects have been profoundly destructive. Over 800,000 people were killed in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, over 250,000 in Burundi since 1993 and IRC reported in the Lancet (7th Jan 2006) that 38,000 people die each month as a result of conflict in DRC.

Peace processes in the region are at a critical stage. A series of elections are under way (due to finish in early 2007) that will allow citizens of DRC to democratically elect the country's leaders for the first time in 40 years. Burundi held successful elections in summer 2005 but the new government is failing to deliver on much that they promised. Rwanda is embarking on a new political era following a nine-year transition period. Although all three countries may officially be said to be in the ‘post-conflict’ phase, peace is fragile and there is a risk that violent conflict will recur.

For more information, contact Sylvie Pereira

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Last updated: October 2006