Critical Analysis

The latest developments, according to the experts

Clandestine Arms Trade Support Human Rights Violations in DR Congo.

This report asserts that peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo will not be attainable "without much stricter international control of arms transfers". It identifies countries that export arms to Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the DRC, as well as exposing less visible ways the international community hinders the peace process in the DRC by supplying weapons to armed forces and militia within the country. The report also provides recommendations to the appropriate parties involved, as well as six possible \"Global Principles for Arms Transfers\", with which human rights and international law violations could be reduced in the future.

IO / NGO Report: Amnesty International

People of the Eastern DRC Prioritise Peace and Security

Over 80 per cent of people in the DRC believe peace can be achieved. There are mixed feelings over war crimes, justice, and reconciliation, as well as discrepancy between attitudes in the East and the West. This report recommends greater presence of popular participation in future national and international policy.

IO / NGO Report: International Centre for Transitional Justice

A Call for More Humanitarian Aid in the Northeastern DRC

Conflict is spreading north in the DRC. Fear tactics, violence, and civilian displacement are increasing humanitarian concerns. Support is desperately needed from the international community.

IO / NGO Report: Medecins Sans Frontieres

DRC Soldiers Not Provoked by Violence, Ethnic Hatred.

Interviews with FARDC men refute the notion of the barbaric, uncontrolled fighter—soldiers unable to differentiate between “desirable” and “undesirable” violent acts. Adopting the perspective of the perpetrators provides a new context for understanding conflict in the DRC.

Journal Article: Journal of Modern African Studies

Coltan, The Black Market Currency in DRC

The causal relationships between the exploitation of natural resources, particularly Coltan used for cellular phone manufacture, and conflict manifestation is explored here. Third party external actors, the middlemen, and even legitimate businesses become peace spoilers in this analysis. The Congolese paradox of resource wealth coupled with poverty is explained, as well as the environmental \"ecocide\" resource extraction is causing.

Book: USAID and Sweden, Switzerland

Hopeful Steps Towards Stopping Sexual Violence in DRC

As the issue of sexual violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has become more serious since January 2009, Human Rights Watch campaigns have striven to raise awareness of sexual crimes and have brought a sign of hope through meetings with President Joseph Kabila and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. According to the executive director of HRW, Kenneth Roth, the meeting with Kabila “made the greatest progress on an anti-rape strategy.” A press conference was soon held to publicly condemn sexual violence, “the military announced a zero-tolerance policy for sexual violence and other abuses,” and Secretary Clinton “pledged US$17 million in aid for victims of sexual violence.” This report recommends that it is important to ensure that the government and the military continue with their policies and prosecutions to bring an end to sexual violence.

IO / NGO Report: Human Rights Watch

The Opportunity for Peace is Squandered in the Kivu Provinces

The conflict in the eastern Congo has been exacerbated by the failure of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue. The dialogue overlooks the root causes of violence by privileging the power-sharing arrangement between rebels. There can be no durable peace without local reconciliation.

Journal Article: African Studies Review. volume 49, no. 3, December 2006

Strategy to Disarm FDLR and Stabilize Eastern DRC

A multifaceted strategy to disarm and demobilize the FDLR must be developed at the international, national, and regional levels in order to stabilize the eastern Congo. The collaboration of MONUC, the Congolese government, Rwanda, and other international actors such as the African Union, the US, and the EU is essential to this strategy. Recommended inputs include strategic planning, military measures, informational campaigns, civilian protection initiatives, judicial processes, and the establishment of normal relations between Rwanda and the DRC.

IO / NGO Report: International Crisis Group

Trading Resources for Peace

The national army's non-integrated 85th Brigade provides security in exchange for resource extortion. This perpetuates a war economy and inhibits state reconstruction. Security sector reform and economic formalization are necessary prescriptions for peace.

Journal Article: Journal of Eastern African Studies

A DRC Peace Agreement Must Address Economic Dimension of War

Important aspects of the conflict in the DRC include the self-financing of armies, the emergence of a war economy, and natural resource exploitation. These reveal that economics is a major issue that should be considered in the peace process.

Book: University of Pretoria

Political Repression in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Following the 2006 presidential elections, President Kabila has used his security forces to violently stifle political opposition. Reform is required both within the Congo and in the international community to ensure the DRC’s democracy is sustained.

IO / NGO Report: Human Rights Watch

UNSC: Cooperation toward Security the Key to Ending Humanitarian Crisis

The UN Security Council lauds the recent initiation of DRC-Rwanda operations against Congo rebels. This report stresses MONUC’s mandate, continuing regional cooperation to protect civilians, and the breaking of rebel networks. It recommends elections, law, and security reform to mitigate sexual violence and illegal mining.

IO / NGO Report: UN.org

A Legacy of Failed Agreements in DR Congo

This report examines the history of the conflict in the DRC from 1996 to present, for the purpose of uncovering the missing links in sustainable peace building in the area. The series of treaties and agreements, particularly the Lusaka Agreement, by the actors involved in the conflict, including the DRC, Rwandan, and Ugandan governments, the ICC, and MONUC to name a few, have largely failed to recognize and address the core of the conflict: the political grievances between the DRC and Rwanda.

IO / NGO Report: Centre For Humanitarian Dialogue

Effective Security Sector Reform Needed in the DRC

A lack of coordination is undermining international efforts to protect civilians from violence and rape. The UN mission must play a more constructive role in the reintegration of ex-combatants, as well as in the promotion of police and judicial reform.

Journal Article: International Peacekeeping