The current phase of oil exploration in Uganda offers a unique opportunity to alleviate poverty and create broad-based development and improved standards of living across the country. A strong and functioning legislative framework for managing the different aspects of the oil resource is essential to ensuring positive outcomes, as are strong and effective government institutions; an environment that requires transparent disclosure of payments and receipts from oil revenues; existence of independent and effective law-enforcement agencies to deal with transgressions; and committed policy implementers. The role of parliamentarians in scrutinising the sector is in turn equally critical.

Oil and Gas Laws in Uganda; A Legislator’s Guide, sets out the main provisions of the proposed framework, and how these differ from existing provisions. The Guide will serve as a helpful tool for legislators, as they take up their task of developing Uganda’s regulatory framework for its nascent oil industry.

A host of publications over the last decade have highlighted the important role played by artisanal and small-scale mining of coltan, gold and cassiterite in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), yet there is still little awareness of the modus operandi of the various actors involved in the exploitation and trade of these minerals. It is vitally important that initiatives aimed at reforming the artisanal mining industry are based on a thorough knowledge of the political, economic and social dynamics at the grassroots level. This research report analyzes the trading networks within the mining sector and their links to military, economic and political actors in eastern DRC, focusing on the provinces of North and South Kivu, and Ituri District in Orientale Province.

Bien que de nombreuses études publiées au cours de la décennie qui vient de s’écouler aient souligné le rôle central joué par l’exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle du coltan, de l’or et de la cassitérite dans les conflits qui continuent de secouer la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), le mode opératoire des différents acteurs participant à l’exploitation et au commerce de ces minerais reste mal connu. Il est crucial que des initiatives visant à réformer l’industrie de l’exploitation minière artisanale se basent sur une analyse approfondie des dynamiques politiques, économiques et sociales sur le terrain. Ce rapport de recherche analyse les réseaux commerciaux au sein du secteur minier et leurs liens avec les acteurs militaires, économiques et politiques de l’est de la RDC, en se focalisant sur les provinces du Nord et du Sud-Kivu, du district de l'Ituri et de la Province Orientale.

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. The report examines efforts to manage this return process and offers recommendations for action by local and international actors.

Conducted in the framework of the European Commission program to "Support to peace and stabilization in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo", this study aims to better understand the role of civil society in peace-building. Based on the results of field research, the study identifies more than 150 organisations. The report describes the peacebuilding sector and the challenges the actors are facing, and provides a detailed and documented analysis of some local peace initiatives, focusing on key methodologies: Mediation, action-research and advocacy. Finally, the study offers recommendations for improving the peacebuilding practices of civil society actors as well as their financial and technical partners.

Cela fait longtemps que l’extraction informelle et le commerce illicite des minéraux sont associés aux conflits violents qui secouent les provinces du Nord et du Sud-Kivu dans le Congo oriental. Le coltan extrait de ces provinces a gagné en proéminence à la fin des années 90, quand il a commencé à être utilisé dans la fabrication des téléphones portables. Ces provinces et le district adjacent de l’Ituri sont également riches en or, dont la valeur a explosé suite à la crise financière mondiale. La situation géographique des sites du Nord et du Sud-Kivu et de l’Ituri est maintenant bien connue, mais les données sur les sites miniers des provinces adjacentes sont beaucoup moins complètes. Ce rapport, qui se fonde sur plusieurs mois de recherches sur le terrain réalisées par l’International Peace Information Service (IPIS) et des partenaires sur le terrain pour International Alert, identifie les sites miniers dans le nord du Katanga, dans la province de Maniema et dans le district de Bafwasende. Il décrit les principaux modes de transport et les voies d’exportation passant principalement par les plates-formes commerciales de Bukavu, Goma et Butembo. Ces informations représentent une importante contribution aux connaissances internationales sur des quantités significatives de minéraux qui, bien qu’échangés dans des centres bien connus, proviennent de régions beaucoup plus éloignées.

For more than a decade, research has stressed the importance of the economic dimension of conflict, and of the economic interests of belligerents. Competition among political, military and business actors for the control of mineral resources in the east of the country is being increasingly recognised as a pivotal factor in assessing the causes of instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This report is based on a thorough review of all the main literature on the subject since the year 2000. It describes and assesses the different categories of actors and the processes, chains and linkages that are involved in mining and trading of minerals in the Kivu provinces and in the territory of Ituri. It also reveals some of the main gaps in the information on the issue that is needed to develop and refine more effective peace-building strategies by national and international interveners.

This report examines the potential of Uganda’s newly discovered oil reserves and recommends increased transparency and principled leadership to promote broad economic opportunities of oil discovery for peace and development in Uganda.
This discovery of oil, taking place within a context of a variety of tensions that exist on both sides of the DRC-Uganda border, represents a potential risk of conflict and presents a peacebuilding challenge for local communities, the government, private sector investors, donors and civil society. With a proactive approach that takes into account conflict risks, the dual dividend of peace and development can be realised through the equitable and transparent exploitation of this resource.

The Global Monitoring Checklist is a pilot research project designed to contribute towards international understanding on women, peace and security efforts. It highlights relevant activities at the local and national level by women, civil society, national governments and the international community. It is not a comprehensive survey of all initiatives relating to women, peace and security; rather, it is a first step in gathering and collating information that links directly to UNSCR 1325 implementation. International Alert is an active member Gender Action for Peace and Security UK (GAPS) and also hosts the working group at the London offices. GAPS is a research and advocacy group working to bridge the gap between the realities of women (activists and non-activists) at the local level in conflict and post-conflict regions with UK decision makers and practitioners working on peace and security.

This first report from the Regional Analysts Network, based on three separate, detailed studies of different locations in the Great Lakes region, demonstrates the power of rumours, myths, stereotypes and prejudices to fuel conflict. Based on interviews with ordinary citizens as well as political decision-makers and opinion-leaders, the report presents material which has hitherto been little documented, and draws original conclusions that will be of interest to a wide readership. This consolidated report makes concrete and practical recommendations, and will help decision-makers both inside and outside the Great Lakes by throwing light on the conflict issues affecting this complex region.

The attention and interest of the various stakeholders in rebuilding Northern Uganda’s economy as part of peace and recovery present critically important opportunities for positive change and a move to sustainable peace in the region, following years of economic decline and underdevelopment during the decades of conflict. But how strategic are these plans, given the challenges that persist, and when seen from a peacebuilding perspective? Are the opportunities to address root causes, immediate consequences, and ongoing threats of war being seized? What are the unforeseen risks of a re-emergence of conflict posed by some approaches? And how can these best be mitigated?
This first issue of International Alert’s Investing in Peace briefing paper series seeks to answer these questions, in order to serve as a stimulus to more conflict-sensitive policy and practice. Its intended audience are policy-makers and implementers in central and local government, as well as development partners (including NGOs), and private sector local to, or doing business in, the region. In order to contextualise its analysis, the report presents an overview of the political economy of war in Northern Uganda, before proceeding to review the different interventions being made or proposed for the region’s economic recovery.

This is the report of a consultation workshop jointly organised by International Alert and the Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) in partnership with the Women and Gender Studies Department at Makerere University. The workshop is part of a regional research project aimed at assessing the impact of women’s political participation in countries emerging from conflict in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. The workshop was attended by members of civil society, parliamentarians, provincial governors, and International Alert and EASSI partners from Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC. The discussions focused amongst others, on issues such as the nature of women’s participation, factors facilitating women’s participation in political transition processes and hindrances and constraints to women’s participation.

Coffee farming plays a vital role in the Burundian economy. It is the main industry and export product of the country and provides important income for the roughly 600,000 families (about 40% of the population) who grow it. Reforms of the coffee sector have continued with greater deregulation and privatization, but this process takes places in a specific political and economic context: on the one hand there is a new democratically elected government and generalized poverty which has been aggravated by 10 years of civil war. On the other hand there is a turmoil of diverging interests which will only intensify as reforms proceed. Meanwhile, the movement of coffee growers claims ownership over coffee production and thus seeks control over a good part of the state’s shares in the sector, as well as active participation in all decisions concerning the sector. Faced with this issue, International Alert wishes to contribute to the debate and to propose solutions that will allow the reforms to proceed in a way that serves the common interest of all the players involved. The ultimate aim of the report is to contribute to the prevention of conflicts that could arise in connection with the reforms.