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Democratic Republic of the Congo 1 Democratic Republic of the Congo Authors: ACODESKI, AFASKIAPFVASK CAFCO, CENADEP, FED, IFDH-NGABO IGNIYUS- RDC, OSODI, SOPADE, SIPOFA WILPF/RDC Researchers: Annie Matundu Mbambi (WILPF/RDC), Jeannine Mukanirwa (CENADEP), Rose Mutombo Kiese (CAFCO) Acknowledgments: We thank all people whose work made this report possible. In particular, we would like to thank the organizations from South Kivu: ACODESKI, AFASKI, ASK, APFV FED, IFDH-NGABO IGNITUS-DRC, OSODI, SOPADE, SIPROFA, CEPFE, as well as the focal provincial points of the CAFCO organization, who collaborated to contribute to this report. This report wouldn’t be possible without the constant support from GNWP-ICAN. Their help to the Congolese women shed light on many aspects of the qualitative research and the action research on the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325i in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Finally, we would also like to thank all the resource persons, and the participants of the consultative workshops for their suggestions and changes to the report. 2 Women Count 2014 Global Civil Society Monitoring Report List of Acronyms ACODESKI Community Association for the Development of South Kivu (Association Communautaire pour le développement du Sud-Kivu) AFASKI Association of Women Lawyers from South Kivu (Association de Femmes Avocates du Sud-Kivu) AFDL Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo) APFV Association of Vulnerable Rural Women (Association paysanne des Femmes vulnérables) ASK Friends of the society of South Kivu (Les Amis du Social du Sud-Kivu) CAFCO Cadre Permanent de Concertation des Femmes Congolaises CEI Independent Electoral Commission (Commission Electorale Indépendante) CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CENADEP Centre National d’Appui au Développement Participatif CENI Independent Electoral Commission (Commission Electorale Indépendante) CEPFE Strategic Cell for the Promotion of Women, Family and the Child (Cellule Stratégique de la Promotion de la Femme, de la Famille et de L’Enfant) DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo FARDC Armed Forces of the DRC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo) FDLR Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda FED Femmes et enfants en danger GNWP Global Network of Women Peace builders ICAN International Civil society Action Network ICGLR International Conference on the Great Lakes Region IDP Internally Displaced Person IFDH-NGABO Initiative féminine pour la défense des droits humains et le Développement IGNITUS-RDC Association pour la prévention et la lutte contre la criminalité chez les jeunes LRA Lord’s Resistance Army M23 March 23 Movement MONUC Mission de l’Organisation des Nations Unies en République Démocratique du Congo MONUSCO United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the DRC MSN Monitoring Mechanism (Mécanisme de Suivi National (de l’Accord cadre)) NAP National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 NGO Non-Governmental Organization OSODI Œuvre Sociale pour le Développement Intégré SIPROFA Soutien aux initiatives promotionnelles de la femme et de la famille SNLVBG Stratégie Nationale de lutte contre les Violences Sexuelles Basées sur le Genre SOPADE Solidarité pour la paix et le développement SSR Security Sector Reform STD Sexually transmitted disease UN United Nations UNSCR United Nations Security Council Resolution WILPF/DRC Women International League for Peace and Freedom Democratic Republic of Congo 3 I. Women, Peace and Security Profile political space, in order to protect human rights and implement a credible reconstruction process.3 Several steps have been taken towards peaceful solutions to A. Nature of the conflict the conflict and the recurring insecurity in Eastern DRC. The The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been ravaged developments that took place following the signing of the Peace, by conflicts – on the local, national and regional level – since Security and Cooperation Framework include: 1996. The socio-political and security situation in the country ▶ Appointment, on March 18, 2013, of Ms. Mary Robinson as remains unstable and unpredictable, and armed clashes continue the UN Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region of central in the Eastern DRC, in particular South and North Kivu, creating a Africa, with a mandate to implement the peace agreement of precarious security situation, and resulting in the displacement of the Secretary General;4 Said Djinnit of Algeria was appointed thousands of people. However, the recent years have seen some in July 2014 to replace Mary Robinson, who was appointed as positive developments. The year 2013 was an important year the UN Special Envoy for Climate Change; for the improvement of the political and security situation in the DRC, due to the signing of the Peace, Security and Cooperation ▶ Adoption on March 28, 2013 of UNSCR 2098, extended the Framework for the DRC and the region, and the disarmament of mandate of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the , the March 23 Movement (M23). DRC (MONUSCO) until March 31 2014, and appointed, for an initial period of one year, a special “Intervention Brigade,” Following a meeting regarding the situation in the DRC, organized mandated to protect civilians, neutralize armed groups, and during the 66th session of the United Nations (UN) General prepare the ground for stabilization activities. This measure is Assembly in September 2012, the UN Secretary General took aimed at giving MONUSCO the capacity to neutralize armed an initiative to unite the countries of the region and prevent groups, implement the arms embargo, and support national the descent of Central Africa into a crisis similar to the one that and international judiciary procedures; occurred over the years 1999 to 2009. This resulted in the signing ▶ Establishment of the above-mentioned national monitoring of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC mechanism for the implementation of the Peace, Security and 1 and the region in February 2014. The framework, signed by Cooperation Framework, through the decree no.13/020 on eleven countries, namely: South Africa, Angola, Burundi, Central May 13, 2013. African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania At the same time, the government has been engaged in talks with and Zambia, at the African Union headquarters in Addis-Ababa, the M23, under the auspices of the International Conference on aims at bringing stability to the DRC. It obliges DRC to introduce the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), as well as in negotiations with some domestic reforms, in particular to conduct a security sector Uganda’s leadership. These discussions resulted in signing of the reform (SSR), as well as a structural reform of state institutions, Nairobi declaration on December 12, 2013, which transformed including the financing institutions. It obliges the other state the M23 into a political party, and allowed the Armed Forces of signatories not to provide support to armed groups, to refrain the DRC (FARDC) to demobilize, with help from MONUSCO, as 5 from intervening in the internal affairs of the neighboring M23 fighters have ravaged the Rutshuru territory. countries, and to contribute to bringing justice to the DRC by In addition to the demobilization of the M23 through the joint initiating a judicial cooperation in the region.2 FARDC-MONUSCO operation “Pomme Orange,” the operation The Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework called on DRC “Sokola 1” was launched to counter the combatants of the to introduce a national monitoring mechanism. It also called for Allied Democratic Forces (ADF-Nalu). Yet, despite these efforts, state signatories to establish a regional monitoring mechanism, the situation in the Eastern DRC remains unstable. It is further with members who would meet regularly to evaluate the progress aggravated by the failure to satisfy the basic needs of the citizens in the implementation of different parties’ obligations to the in Eastern territories, such as Beni and Lubero. As a consequence agreement. of the activity of the armed groups, as well as the military operations of the FARDC against them, the communities in the The UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2098 from 2013, North and South Kivu provinces are caught in the crossfire and a further underlined DRC’s obligations with regards to ensuring number of them are subject to murder, rape, torture, abduction, peace and security of its citizens. The Resolution calls on the and economic exploitation from different groups who control government of DRC to stabilize the situation in the country by different parts of the region. establishing operational public security institutions in the areas affected by the conflict by strengthening democracy to reduce 3 United Nations Security Council, United Nations Security Council Resolution the risk of instability, as well as through the creation of necessary 2098 (S/Res/2098), (New York: United Nations, March 28, 2013), accessed November 14, 2013. http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3- 1 Al Jazeera News, “African Leaders sign DR Congo peace deal,” February CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_res_2098.pdf. 25, 2013, accessed October 20, 2014. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/ 4 “The former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, named UN Special Envoy for the africa/2013/02/201322473023560834.html. Great Lakes Region,” UN News Centre, March 18, 2013, accessed October 20, 2014. http:// 2 African Union, Peace Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic www.un.org/apps/newsFr/storyF.asp?NewsID=29988#.VCMslF6ZIpE. Republic of the Congo and the region, (Addis Ababa: African Union, February 24, 5 “Congo and M23 Rebels Sign Peace Deal,” Voice of America News, December 12, 2013), accessed November 14, 2013, http://www.peaceau.org/uploads/scanned- 2003, accessed November 14, 2014, http://www.voanews.com/content/drc-m23-sign-peace- on-24022013-125543.pdf. deal/1809026.html. 4 Women Count 2014 Global Civil Society Monitoring Report The first quarter of 2014 was marked by high activity of armed pregnancies.
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