Small steps towards peace: Inventory and analysis of local peace practices in North and South Kivu

The European Commission asked International Alert for support in its programme for peace and stabilisation in eastern DRC. The objective of this 18-month endeavour, entitled ‘Enhancing Dialogue in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’, was to offer support for the peacebuilding process, monitor the security situation, and promote peace initiatives and inter-community dialogue. This study focuses on local peace initiatives, examining to what extent and how they contribute to peace.

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. 

The human cost of years of conflict translates into millions of deaths, displaced persons, and acts of brutality. It also translates into chronic political instability and insecurity, which continue to threaten the progress made in recent years in terms of diplomacy and security.