Peace, Security, and Governance in the Great Lakes Region
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
International Peace Academy Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region African Dialogue Centre for Conflict Management and Development Issues Centre for Conflict Resolution Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation UN Sub-regional Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in Central Africa Peace, Security, and Governance in the Great Lakes Region Rapporteur: Dr. Dorina A. Bekoe DECEMBER 2003 ■ DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA Acknowledgements International Peace Academy’s (IPA) Africa Program gratefully acknowledges the support of the governments of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; and the Rockefeller Fo u n d a t i o n . About IPA’s Africa Program The seminar on peace, security, and governance in the Great Lakes region, jointly organized by IPA and the Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region (Kenya), in partnership with the African Dialogue Centre for Conflict Management and Development Issues (Tanzania), the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation (Tanzania), the UN Sub-regional Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa (Cameroon), and the Centre for Conflict Resolution (South Africa), took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 15–17 December 2003. The meeting involved nearly sixty diplomats, high-ranking military officers, academics, and civil society actors, drawn largely from the Great Lakes region, and was the fourth in a series of seminars to address ways in which Africa’s sub-regional organizations could increase their capacity to manage local conflicts. The seminar served as a major component of the Africa Program’s current three-year project (2003–2006) on strengthening Africa’s security mechanisms and actors. The policy seminar on the Great Lakes region emerged out of IPA’s partnership with the Organization of African Unity and sub-regional organizations engaged in enhancing their capacities for conflict manage- ment and strengthening Africa’s security mechanisms. The Africa Program of IPA works with partner institutions: •To serve as a useful guide to Africa’s regional organizations and actors in assessing their strengths and weaknesses in the area of conflict prevention, management, and resolution; •To identify the key factors required to maximize the potential of Africa’s fledgling security mechanisms and to provide tangible support for the efforts of regional organizations at strengthening their political and military institutions; •To share comparative experiences between, and learn policy lessons from, the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, and sub-regional organizations, such as the Economic Community of West African States, the Southern African Development Community, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the East African Community, and the Economic Community of Central African States; •To encourage the involvement of civil society actors in developing and shaping Africa’s regional security mechanisms and to facilitate the development of civil society networking within Africa; •To serve as a valuable resource for external actors and donors involved in assisting the development of Africa’s security mechanisms; •To create networks of knowledgeable and interested Africans to influence developments on their continent through interaction among themselves; and •To provide a resource for scholars and students of conflict management in Africa, particularly since there exists a paucity of knowledge on the continent’s institutions and actors engaged in the field of conflict management. About the Rapporteur Dr. Dorina A. Bekoe is an associate in the Africa Program. PEACE, SECURITY, AND GOVERNANCE IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION Table of Contents Executive Summary . 1 1. Introduction . 4 2. Peace and Security in the Great Lakes Region . 8 3. Domestic Bases of Regional Instability . 12 4. Trans-National Conflict Issues . 14 5. The Role of External Actors . 17 6. Policy Recommendations and the Way Forward . 19 Annex I: Keynote Address “Reflections on the Burundi Peace Process,” Mr. Joseph S. Warioba, Former Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania . 21 Annex II: Opening Address “Tanzania: Peacemaker and Proponent of Good Governance,” Mr. Phillemon Sarungi, (MP), Minister for Defence and National Service of the United Republic of Tanzania. 24 Annex III: Agenda . 28 Annex IV: Seminar Participants . 31 Contents PEACE, SECURITY, AND GOVERNANCE IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION Executive Summary former combatants and reintegration of refugees from the 1993 political violence are yet to be effectively implemented. Finally, in the DRC, the active presence The seminar, “Peace, Security, and Governance, in the of Rwandan militias in the Kivu provinces is causing Great Lakes region,”1 the first in the third phase of the the Rwandan army to deploy into the DRC, thus International Peace Academy’s (IPA) Africa Program, violating the Pretoria Agreement between the two jointly organized with the Office of the Special countries. It highlights the need to resolve domestic Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary- security concerns in Rwanda in tandem with the sub- General for the Great Lakes Region (Kenya), took place regional peace process underway in the DRC. in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 15–17 December 2003. Other partners in the convening of the policy Prospects for the consolidation of peace in the region seminar included: the African Dialogue Centre for will depend on an empowered civil society, strongly Conflict Management and Development Issues institutionalized and efficient sub-regional organiza- ( Tanzania), the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation tions, and strategic intervention by the international (Tanzania), the UN Sub-regional Centre for Human community. In this regard, IPA’s partnership with the Rights and Democracy in Central Africa (Cameroon), Office of the Special Representative of the UN and the Centre for Conflict Resolution (South Africa). Secretary-General (SRSG) for the Great Lakes Region Approximately sixty participants – diplomats, high- gave participants an opportunity to provide ranking military officers, academics, and civil society recommendations for increasing the impact of the actors – drawn largely from the Great Lakes region, upcoming International Conference on the Great Lakes attended the conference. Notable participants included: Region on peace, security, and governance in the sub- Mr. Joseph S. Warioba, former prime minister of the region. The international conference, to be organized United Republic of Tanzania; Mr. Phillemon Sarungi, as a series of summits by the Office of the SRSG (MP), Minister for Defence and National Service of the starting in November 2004, will also provide the sub- United Republic of Tanzania; and Dr. Salim Ahmed region’s civil society, women’s groups, and youth Salim, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the organizations the opportunity to participate in the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation and former secretary- planning of a blueprint for engendering economic and general of the Organization of African Unity. social development in the Great Lakes region. The primary objective of the seminar was to assess the Equally important, conflict resolution in the sub- prospects for durable peace and security and to region’s core countries of Rwanda, Burundi, and the identify the challenges to democratization in the Great DRC was discussed as a function of how well these Lakes region. The policy seminar proved particularly countries successfully address domestic and regional timely as the main countries in conflict in the region – issues. To this end, participants emphasized such Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the measures as building strong democratic and economic Congo (DRC) – stand at varying degrees of transition institutions, eliminating poverty and underdevelop- and harbor the potential for renewed violence. Rwanda ment, curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS, stemming the has conducted two elections since the 1994 genocide, illicit trade of small arms and light weapons (SALWs), but the credibility of the electoral processes has been and designing durable solutions for addressing issues disputed and elements of structural violence have not of concern to refugees and internally displaced people completely disappeared. In Burundi, while the main (IDPs). Furthermore, participants underscored that Hutu insurgent group has acceded to the peace partnerships with the international community, the agreement, the Parti pour la libération du peuple hutu strengthening of regional economic communities, and – Forces nationales de libération (PALIPEHUTU-FNL) increased economic integration were critical to have not. Furthermore, plans for the demobilization of resolving these issues. 1 The Great Lakes region includes: Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Executive Summary 1 PEACE, SECURITY, AND GOVERNANCE IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION Policy Recommendations and the Way Forward should also implement a sustainable repatriation project for the refugees resulting from the expulsions The participants developed a number of policy of 1972 that is accompanied with strong economic recommendations to outline the way forward for civil development programs. In Rwanda, the international society organizations, national governments, regional community was urged to address the irregularities in institutions, and international bodies to address the