A System of Insecurity: Understanding Urban Violence and Crime in Bukavu

A System of Insecurity: Understanding Urban Violence and Crime in Bukavu examines the role of state and non-state actors in the provision of security, and citizens’ perceptions of, experiences with and responses to insecurity in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in the eastern Congo. Facing growing urban insecurity, the residents of Bukavu have taken matters into their own hands. Improvising, fending for yourself (débrouillezvous) and taking care of oneself (auto-prise en charge) have become logics of personal action. This has produced an ambiguous order in which a plurality of actors compete to achieve the near impossible: to survive, thrive and provide security all at once.

Resources and resourcefulness: Roles, opportunities and risks for women working at artisanal mines in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Two dominant narratives have characterized the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): (1) the horrific abuse of women through sexual violence and (2) the use of “conflict minerals” to fuel the fighting. These two advocacy narratives intersect uniquely in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) towns and can lead to flawed understandings of the true dynamics of women’s experiences in these contexts. Mining areas are important centers of economic activity for women, but also pose distinct risks. A simplistic portrayal of women’s victimization in mining towns suppress discussion of their participation in non-conflict political and social processes. Yet, these processes are among the most important to ensure that women secure opportunities for long-term, substantive engagement in mining activities. This paper draws on systematically collected qualitative data from two territories in South Kivu, Walungu and Kalehe, to examine how women negotiate these complex social and economic mining landscapes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Insecurity In Goma: Experiences, Actors and Responses

Since the start of 2019, a series of murders, violent robberies and kidnappings have taken place in peripheral neighbourhoods of Goma. The rapid rise in violent crime has alarmed city residents and led to calls for the local government and security services to respond more effectively. Insecurity in Goma: Experiences, actors and responses maps out the dynamics and experiences of, and responses to, urban insecurity in Goma, and makes the case for national and international policymakers to engage seriously with the urban dimension of insecurity in the eastern Congo.

Rebels and the City: Urban dimensions of armed mobilization in the eastern Congo

Despite focusing the bulk of their operations on rural areas, armed groups in the eastern Congo have long-standing connections with urban centres. Technological progress, such as mobile communication, and enhanced movement, especially through motorcycle taxis, have intensified these connections. These relations rely on mutual advantages: Urban-based supporters can bolster their political leverage and business activities,- while rural-based groups benefit from communication channels and supply networks. While vital to the survival of armed groups, initiatives to address armed group mobilization largely ignore these rural-urban connections. This limits their effectiveness. Efforts should be stepped up to document the complex rural-urban connections within militarized networks, including money flows, by creating a mixed Congolese-international ‘Group of Experts’ on armed mobilization.

Maternal Psychological Distress and Perceived Impact on Child Feeding Practices in South Kivu, DR Congo

Maternal mental health problems are associated with poor child growth and suboptimal child feeding practices, yet little qualitative research has been conducted to understand mothers’ perceptions about how maternal mental ill health and child nutrition are related. This study among mothers with of young children in South Kivu, showed that women’s husbands were a significant source of distress, with husbands’ infidelity, abandonment, and lack of financial support mentioned by participants. Psychological distress resulted in appetite and weight loss, and poor nutritional status made it difficult to breastfeed. Participants perceived psychological distress caused milk insufficiency and difficulty breastfeeding.

(De) Masqué : Ruse, Résilience Et Résistance – La Controverse D’une Mesure COVID-19

Depuis Février 2020, le monde est confronté au coronavirus (COVID-19) dont les premiers cas s’étaient déclarés dans la ville de Wuhan en Chine en novembre 2019. L’avènement de la COVID-19, sa propagation et le nombre croissant des morts (à ce jour + 500.000 décès et + de 12 millions de cas confirmés dans le monde) a amené les autorités politiques et sanitaires à édicter des mesures pour prévenir et limiter sa propagation. Parmi ces mesures figure le port du masque ou cache-nez selon les appellations.

Covid-19 : De La Crise De Communication Au Déni De La Crise En République Démocratique Du Congo

Le covid-19 est une maladie dangereuse. Mais la communication au sujet du covid-19 peut être plus dangereuse si elle n’est pas cohérente. D’une part, une communication dramatique peut inutilement entraîner ou aggraver la psychose et un stress généralisé. D’autre part, une communication tâtonnante est susceptible de créer un impact négatif sur l’acceptation de la maladie et sa dangerosité ; elle peut décrédibiliser les gouvernants ; et semer le doute en la capacité des équipes de riposte à contenir la pandémie. Le cas du Sud-Kivu (et la République Démocratique du Congo en général) est illustratif. La stratégie de communication utilisée par les acteurs publics en cette période de la pandémie de Covid-19 permet de soutenir qu’une approche politique approximative en temps de crise peut être plus dangereuse que la pandémie elle-même. Dans le cas de la RDC et du Sud Kivu, les « erreurs » dans la communication officielle ont entraîné l’émergence de trois types de crise : (1) le déni de la catastrophe,

Angaza COVID-19 Series : Penser La Riposte Sur Les Leçons Apprises Du Passé

La République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) a une longue expérience de gestion des épidémies. Plusieurs recherches indiquent que les approches de contrôles de l’épidémie Ebola et la pandémie de Covid-19 sont presque les mêmes. Récemment, l’expérience acquise dans la lutte contre la fièvre hémorragique Ebola a fait que tout le monde soit unanime sur la capacité de la RDC à contenir le Covid-19. Ce qui malheureusement n’a pas été le cas.

Angaza COVID-19 Series : Mimétisme Occidentalo-Centré De La Riposte Contre La COVID-19 Au Sud Kivu, RDC

Portant sur le mimétisme occidentalo-centré et ses implications sur les politiques provinciales de la riposte contre la COVID 19 en Milieu rural au Sud Kivu, RDC, cette analyse s’inspire du modèle centre et périphéries, selon lequel, il existe un centre qui est l’Occident (le Nord) et les périphéries qui sont les pays du Sud. Le centre développe les politiques et les modèles pour résoudre le problème des périphéries.

Public Authority and Conservation in Areas of Armed Conflict: Virunga National Park as a ‘State within a State’ in Eastern Congo

Much research on nature conservation in war-torn regions focuses on the destructive impact of violent conflict on protected areas, and argues that transnational actors should step up their support for those areas to mitigate the risks that conflict poses to conservation efforts there. Overlooked are the effects transnational efforts have on wider conflict dynamics and structures of public authority in these regions. This article describes how transnational actors increasingly gained influence over the management of Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and how these actors contributed to the militarization of conservation in Virunga. Most scholarly literature suggests that ‘green militarization’ contributes to the extension of state authority over territory and population, yet this is not the case in Virunga. Instead, the militarization of Virunga translates into practices of extra-state territorialization, with the result that many in the local population perceive the park’s management as a project of personalized governance and/or a ‘state within a state’.

Clinical trials as disease control? The political economy of sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1996–2016)

Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, is closer than ever to being eliminated as a public health problem. The main narratives for the impressive drop in cases allude to drugs discovery and global financing and coordination. They raise questions about the relationship between well-funded international clinical research and much less well-endowed national disease control programmes. They need to be complemented with a solid understanding of how (and why) national programmes that do most of the frontline work are structured and operate. We analyse archives and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and explore the role the national HAT programme played in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country that consistently accounts for over 60% of HAT cases worldwide. The programme grew strongly between 1996, when it was barely surviving, and 2016. Our political economy lens highlights how the leadership of the programme managed to carve itself substantial autonomy within the health system,

Angaza COVID-19 Series : Les Masques – Un Danger

Pour lutter contre la pandémie de Covid-19, le port de masques a été vivement recommandé, pendant des sorties en public, pour réduire la chaîne de contamination. Des populations sous informées sur l’usage responsable des masques s’exposent et exposent leur environnement à la contamination d’une part. D’une autre part, ils contribuent à la pollution de la nature en abandonnant les masques usagers pêle-mêle. Ce vlog revient sur l’aspect pédagogique et la prise en compte des enfants et de la pollution de l’environnement dans la politique de la riposte.

Angaza COVID-19 Series : Quand La Communication Renforce Le Déni En République Démocratique Du Congo

Le Covid-19 est une maladie dangereuse. Mais la communication au sujet du Covid-19 peut être plus dangereuse si elle n’est pas cohérente. Une communication peut provoquer une multitude de réactions et créer un impact négatif/positif sur l’acceptation de la maladie et sa dangerosité, sur le sérieux de leurs gouvernants et sur la capacité technique de l’équipe de riposte à contenir la pandémie. Le cas du Sud-Kivu, en République Démocratique du Congo, la communication en cette période de la pandémie de Covid-19 a révélé une politique publique approximative et susceptible de créer une crise dans une autre. Dans ce vlog, il est présenté comment la communication officielle/politique a renforcé le déni de la pandémie de Covid-19 en province du Sud-Kivu en particulier et en République démocratique du Congo en général.

A Qualitative Evaluation of COVID-19 Preventative Response Activities in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Objective: In this evaluation of COVID-19 preventative response programs in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we aimed to explore community understandings of COVID-19, assess operational successes and challenges of COVID response activities, and identify barriers to practicing COVID-19 preventative behaviors. Methods: Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted from April to September 2021 in South Kivu, DRC, with community members (n = 16) and programmatic stakeholders (n = 15) (healthcare providers, government officials, and developmental and NGO staff engaged in COVID-19 response). Findings: Most community members were aware of COVID-19 and its global burden, but few were aware of local transmission in their area. Some community members attributed COVID-19 to actions of malevolent neighbors, miasma (“bad air”), or spirits. Awareness of COVID-19 preventative measures was widespread, largely because of radio and TV health promotion programs. Community members and programmatic stakeholders both said community-level non-compliance to COVID-19 preventative measures was high despite high awareness of preventative methods.

Crisis responses, opportunity, and public authority during Covid-19’s first wave in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan

Discussions on African responses to Covid-19 have focused on the state and its international backers. Far less is known about a wider range of public authorities, including chiefs, humanitarians, criminal gangs, and armed groups. This paper investigates how the pandemic provided opportunities for claims to and contests over power in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. Ethnographic research is used to contend that local forms of public authority can be akin to miniature sovereigns, able to interpret dictates, policies, and advice as required. Alongside coping with existing complex protracted emergencies, many try to advance their own agendas and secure benefits. Those they seek to govern, though, do not passively accept the new normal, instead often challenging those in positions of influence. This paper assesses which of these actions and reactions will have lasting effects on local notions of statehood and argues for a public authorities lens in times of crisis.

Resources and Rape: Congo’s (toxic) Discursive Complex

In the last decade, the rapes (of women) in, and the metaphoric raping (of natural resources) of, the Democratic Republic of Congo have received unprecedented attention from media, donors, and advocacy groups. Beginning in the early 2000s, these two narratives (the involvement of armed groups and state forces in illegal resource exploitation and the widespread prevalence of sexual violence in eastern DRC) merged to form a direct cause-consequence relationship, in which rape is framed as a tool for accessing mineral wealth. Through an analysis of media articles and reports of human rights organizations, this study traces the making of this rape-resources narrative, juxtaposing it with wider academic debates and critical scholarship. The narrative effectively focuses attention on a narrow set of actors and spaces in Congo’s conflicts, highlighting each of those actors/spaces in particular ways while obscuring the role of others.

‘A Real Woman Waits’ – Heteronormative Respectability, Neo-Liberal Betterment and Echoes of Coloniality in SGBV Programming in Eastern DR Congo

Drawing on archival and field research, this article critically examines the production and distribution of gender roles and expectations in SGBV programming, in particular in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We find the underlying currents in some of these programmes reinscribe heteronormativity and focus on individual betterment which resonates with regulating gender and sexuality during colonialism. In some cases, strongly western-inspired norms of individual agency have been introduced, disregarding structural constraints of people’s lives. To conclude, we explore alternative approaches to SGBV prevention, ones in which international approaches are re-defined and vernacularized for local use – but which also at times inform global understandings.

What Women Want before Justice: Examining Justice Initiatives to Challenge Violence against Women in the DRC

While the realization of women’s rights has increased significantly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese women’s struggle is often obscured by certain international actors actively pushing for social change in the region. Those who are politically active in the area tend to forget that it is not the mere act of imposing policies that effects change, but rather actively involving Congolese women in decision-making processes. This article examines the way conflict-related sexual violence crimes are interpreted by donors, international organizations and international nongovernmental organizations, and what is implemented to challenge these acts of violence in accordance with the needs and expectations of Congolese women. By looking at current feminist discourse on conflict, security and development, the article aims to highlight the failures in implementing justice initiatives without input from women on the ground.

Violence, Well-Being and Level of Participation in Formal Education among Adolescent Girls in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: The Role of Child Marriage

Child marriage is a well-recognized barrier to education, and exposes girls to an increased risk of violence along with other negative health and developmental outcomes. A quantitative survey was conducted with girls selected from 14 communities in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Data from 350 girls (ages 13-14) were analyzed using mixed effects logistic regression models. Findings revealed that child marriage was associated with lower levels of participation in formal education as well as higher rates of physical, sexual and emotional violence. In particular, when adjusting for age and girls’ level of participation in formal education, being married was associated with more than a three-fold (OR: 3.23) increased risk of experiencing sexual violence (p<0.001). Married girls were also significantly more likely to affirm the belief that they would be forced to marry their perpetrator in the event that they were raped (p=0.017),

“A Woman’s Degree Must End in the Kitchen”: Expectations of Women in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

This study draws on a qualitative approach to explore how adolescents perceive women’s and men’s roles in marriage and family life. A sample of 56 boys and girls aged 16–20 from two urban and two rural high schools in South Kivu province took part in focus groups, and 40 of them were subsequently interviewed individually. The results show that most male participants believe husbands should fill the breadwinner role, and expect wives to remain the primary caretakers. Female participants reported that men are reluctant to allow their wives to have a job despite their degrees. However, most female participants disapproved of the mentioned beliefs of expecting wives to remain home doing housework and the husband to be the only primary breadwinner. The majority of male and female participants identified socio-cultural pressure for men (rather than women) to acquire education, formal employment,

Behind the weapon of war: sexual violence in wartime as a reflection of social attitudes towards women in peacetime

This article looks at practices of sexual violence that were prevalent during the period before the conflict in 1996 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and shows how they have contributed to war-related sexual violence. The findings are based on 30 semi-structured interviews with men and women who directly or indirectly witnessed sexual violence in South Kivu province prior to the 1996 war. The findings suggest that prior to its use as a weapon of war in armed conflicts, sexual violence was already embedded in gender norms that regard women as subordinate to men and in the traditional perception of masculinity. Although sexual violence may have been less prevalent before the war, it was nonetheless perpetrated as a tactic for coercing marriage, correcting and punishing women, and sexual gratification. This article argues that in addition to ending armed conflicts, anti-sexual violence interventions have to take into account the sociocultural factors underlying this phenomenon and promote gender equality and justice.

Love, Sex, and Exchange in the Context of Peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The narrow framing of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and the United Nations Zero-Tolerance Policy inadequately accounts for the range of sexual interactions in peacekeeping contexts and obscures the wider social contexts within which sexual decision making occurs. We draw on personal narratives from women who have had such sexual interactions, as well as community observers to demonstrate the complexity, multiple forms and ambiguities that characterize these relationships. We focus particularly on ‘love’ and long-term relationships. The complexities revealed cast doubt on the efficacy and appropriateness of the UN’s zero-tolerance policy and call for a modification of the concept of the peacekeeping economy to include consideration of intimacy, emotion and quests to fulfil expectations of gendered social roles in the contradictory landscape of peacekeeping.

The Transitional Justice Gap: Exploring ‘Everyday’ Gendered Harms and Customary Justice in South Kivu, DR Congo

Feminist transitional justice (TJ) has greatly contributed to the study of justice in the ruins of war, notably around prosecuting wartime rape. At the same time, scholars have observed limitations to this research agenda such as externally-driven definitions gendered harms and how to address them. This paper explores two novel areas for feminist TJ research: ‘everyday gendered harms’ and customary justice. Based on a three month field study of baraza, a customary justice mechanism in parts of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, I explore three cases of ‘everyday’ harms against women: domestic violence, polygynous relationships and witchcraft. Through a substantive examination of these baraza cases, I highlight how studying the contextualised functioning of customary justice mechanisms provides new insights into different areas of feminist TJ scholarship, including women’s participation in the transition, justice for harms against women, and advancing gender equality.

Relationships Matter: Persistent Armed Conflict – A Case of Negotiated Authority and Survival

Many of the armed conflicts that have taken place over the past 25 years have been explained as a means by which greedy rebels and elites profit from natural resource rents. Accordingly, much of the research conducted in the field of armed conflict persistence points to greed, as both a cause and effect of this persistence. This has led to the development of generalized policy solutions that fail to consider how various actors are affected by, and how they respond to, the presence of armed conflict. Moreover, few scholars have considered how interconnected economic and political networks contribute to, and sustain, armed conflict. Consequently, this research illustrates how embedded socio-economic relations between civilians, armed groups, and the state, contributes to armed conflict persistence. This paper demonstrates how through daily relationships with armed groups and the state’s military forces; civilians are engaged in struggles for public authority,

Sexual and gender based violence against men in the Democratic Republic of Congo: effects on survivors, their families and the community

Media and service provider reports of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) perpetrated against men in armed conflicts have increased. However, response to these reports has been limited, as existing evidence and programs have primarily focused on prevention and response to women and girl survivors of SGBV. This study aims to contribute to the evidence of SGBV experienced by males by advancing our understanding of the definition and characteristics of male SGBV and the overlap of health, social and economic consequences on the male survivor, his family and community in conflict and post-conflict settings. The qualitative study using purposive sampling was conducted from June–August 2010 in the South Kivu province of Eastern DRC, an area that has experienced over a decade of armed conflict.

A man never cries: barriers to holistic care for male survivors of sexual violence in eastern DRC

While we know that most male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) do not have access to care, little attention has been devoted to a systematic analysis of why this is so. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with staff of service providers and male survivors of sexual violence, as well as from focus group discussions with community members in eastern DRC, this article sets out to explore challenges and barriers related to meeting the needs of male survivors of sexual violence with respect to their medical, psychological, socioeconomic and legal needs.

Borders, boundaries, and brokers: The unintended consequences of strategic essentialism in transnational feminist networks

Strategic essentialising around the figure of the Congolese woman has created a collective of more than 60 different women’s organisations coming from opposite corners of the DRC. There now exists an extensive grassroots community, which maintains visibility and close contact with international organisations, donors, and NGOs in the country, as well as successfully advocating for gender equality. In this chapter, I examine how transnational women’s movements in post-conflict countries hide intersectionality and privilege amongst their members as a way to produce the figure of the ‘real local woman’ and build bridges between the international and the native, and to gain space in the overcrowded development and peacebuilding market. Ignoring differences amongst women and how ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality are historically constituted might compromise the very same emancipatory potential that transnational networks could offer.

Civil Society and Peacebuilding in the Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo

This chapter explores how effective or not has civil society been in ending armed conflict and building sustaining peace in Kivu provinces via the use of seven civil society’s peacebuilding functions. The findings are drawn from desk research, mainly exploring data from books, journals, reports, and official documents; and the assessment reported here is conducted within civil society’s functions that the literature in this field provides. This chapter contends that CSOs still exert a weak influence in building peace due to various factors that hinder the fulfilment of peacebuilding functions aiming for a sustainable peace.

Navigating Obstacles, Opportunities and Reforms: Women’s Lives and Livelihoods in Artisanal Mining Communities in Eastern DRC

This thesis drew upon ethnographic methods to ‘zoom in’ on the diverse and changing roles of women in artisanal mining. Over a 15-month period, the research was carried out at four mining sites: two in South Kivu (Kamituga and Nyabibwe) and two in northern Katanga (Manono and Kisengo). This work recognises and unravels the complexities of women’s lives in artisanal mining. Broadly, the study focused on addressing the following questions: How do women living and working at these mining sites make their living? What barriers and opportunities do they find? How are the current mining reforms affecting these
barriers and opportunities? Why do some women do better than others, and what does this mean for the power relations among women?

Integrating Women into Peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A Case Study of Goma

This thesis, set in the context of field research conducted in North Kivu province in DRC, explores the barriers to women’s participation in peacebuilding processes and their potential contributions. From the field, it is evident that women’s organisations and groups are doing remarkable work in supporting women on the ground, providing them with much needed health, counselling and humanitarian services. This is not enough, however. Insecurity continues to damage their lives, and despite their commitment to peacebuilding efforts, they are excluded from formal peace meetings, even those held at the grassroots level. They face many challenges, given their patriarchal and conflict-ridden context, in terms of maintaining and sustaining their work, including a lack of resources, difficulties in travelling for work-related meetings and the fear of intimidation from male counterparts.

Bringing Justice to the People: Examining International Assistance to the DR Congo’s Judiciary and Its Impacts on Sexual Violence Crimes and Gender Power Relations in North Kivu

This thesis aims to explore the impact of international assistance on challenging sexual violence crimes in conflict in the eastern DRC. In this regard, firstly, a broad understanding of the notion of violence is provided by gendering Slavoj Žižek’s theory of violence which claims that sexual violence crimes are more than the physical acts of violence as they are an expression of unequal gender power relations. The thesis then explores whether international assistance challenging sexual violence crimes through the rule of law employ these deeper understandings of violence. The main argument is that in order to end sexual violence crimes, violence embedded in gender power relations needs to be challenged in addition to the visible acts of violence. Hence, this thesis will explore whether changes in gender power relations or a transformation of gender performativity is affected by international assistance.

A Gender Analysis of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Health System Reform: An Opportune Moment to Build a Just and Inclusive Health System

This thesis examines key institutional and structural interventions and reforms in the health system of the DRC for their implications on health experienced by Congolese women from conception to beyond their reproductive years. This thesis suggests that healthcare reform efforts over the past eleven years have had severe deficits for Congolese women’s health. As the DRC government aims to strengthen its capacities to provide quality healthcare to its population, it is more important than ever to identify how and to what extent intervening variables of the health systems reform efforts are normatively and consequentially reflective of differential gendered experiences of health.

Women, Conflict and Public Authority in the Congo

Even though women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are undoubtedly marginalized in formal political life, they are not completely absent from the political arena. Congolese women are involved in the exercise of local public authority in a variety of ways. While women’s organizations are important for promoting peace, the effects of women’s involvement in governance have not been unequivocally positive in terms of peace and stability. Women’s participation in the political arena should be encouraged. In the absence of other, more substantial reforms, the mere inclusion of women does not guarantee the transformation of institutions as a whole or their modes of governing.

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