Pages 68-138 (Survey)

SURVEY Small ARms IN EasTERN CONGO – A SURVEY ON THE PERCEPTION OF INSECURITY 8 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS In accordance with the terms of reference of the UNDP-DRC, the Group for Research and Information on Peace and Security (GRIP) and the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) were commissioned to carry out a study into SALW in the East of the DRC. This zone encompasses the entire provinces of Maniema, North Kivu and South Kivu and the districts of Ituri in the Oriental Province and Tanganyika in Katanga. A local analyst in each of the five zones was given responsibility to manage the study in his area. General coordination was ensured by a GRIP expert based in Goma, who carried out many visits on the ground. The study is based on a household survey along with key interviews and focus group discussions, thus combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The study focused on four aspects considered by the UNDP as the most important areas of research into small arms: - Small Arms Distribution Survey – SADS - Small Arms Impact Survey – SAIS - Small Arms Perception Survey – SAPS - Small Arms Capacity Survey – SACS. Household surveys (questionnaire) In order to approach the issue of SALW on a broad basis and learn how the inhabitants in the five regions perceive the question, a household survey was carried out. Using a questionnaire, it was possible to address in detail three of the above four categories, namely SALW perception, SALW impact and SALW distribution. The only category not addressed was the survey of small arms capacity because this method is inappropriate for such research. As more than 10,000 questionnaires were conducted – at least 2,000 per region – the survey may be considered to be representative of each of the surveyed regions. On a smaller scale (cities, territories, sub-questions, etc.), the 9 Small ARms IN EasTERN CONGO – A SURVEY ON THE PERCEPTION OF INSECURITY survey remains representative as long as a certain number of people participated in it. There were too few respondents for the estimates to be considered reliable on some questions, such as the price of certain weapons, for example. The questionnaire-based survey was carried out by at least 9 locally recruited pollsters per region. Each analyst has been in danger of recruiting and overseeing a team of pollsters. Preparing the questionnaire An initial version of the questionnaire was drawn up by BICC and GRIP and presented at a training workshop in Bukavu, where the validity of each question was examined and initial amendments were made. The questionnaire was then tested on the ground (in Bukavu) by the analysts. In light of this experience, the questionnaire was discussed again and the final amendments were made. Key Interviews It was not possible to ask the general population a number of specific questions, particularly concerning the authorities’ ability to deal with SALW. It subsequently proved useful to talk with key, well-informed individuals about these specific issues. Key interviews consisted of an interview between an analyst and a key individual. The results of these discussions were included in the analysts’ survey report and summarised in the “Region-by-region Profile” chapter of this book. Focus group discussions Focus group discussions concentrated on detailed aspects of an issue. They examined them in greater depth than was possible with a questionnaire. It was hoped that as much information as possible could be obtained by bringing together a number of individuals in any one group with specific knowledge about a subject. The focus group discussions also made it possible to have women-only groups. In a heads of household survey, men tend to be addressed more frequently than women. These focus groups therefore allowed for women’s voices to be heard and their viewpoints to be taken into account. The focus group discussions were guided by a facilitator – in this case, the analyst. The facilitator opened the discussion, explained the aims and rules and 0 TECHNICal spECIFICATIONS Study development stages Training workshops An analyst training workshop was held in Bukavu at the end of April 2009. This brought together analysts and GRIP and BICC experts for three days. During the first fortnight of May, the analysts (usually supervised by GRIP and BICC experts) carried out one-day training workshops for the pollsters. Survey phase From the start of May until mid-August, the analysts and pollsters carried out the study in their specific area of responsibility, with the backing of two successive GRIP coordinators in the DRC. Data processing Once the questionnaires had been filled in, the analysts, assisted by an additional member of staff, entered the data into Access files. These were then sent in by email and used by GRIP to set up a statistical database. Results restitution workshop At a results restitution workshop in Goma on 10 and 11 November 2009, the results of the survey and the analysts’ survey reports, containing accounts of the key interviews and focus group discussions, were discussed with the analysts in order to prepare the final report. Validation workshop In Kinshasa on 1 and 2 June 2010, the final report was presented to the analysts, UNDP-DRC and DRC authorities, including the CNC-ALPC at a validation workshop, where the participants endorsed the results of the study and the recommendations. guided the process. The results of the focus group discussions have been set out in the analysts’ survey reports. The handbook A handbook was presented to the analysts at a training workshop. The handbook provided a reference document for analysts and an abbreviated version served as a reference for the pollsters. It contains an introduction to the study objectives, sets out the international context of SALW, lays down the timeline of the study, explains logistics and health and safety issues and describes the work of the analysts and pollsters. 1 THE ZONE COVERED BY THE STUDY The zone covered by the study includes the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Maniema, as well as the districts of Ituri (Eastern Province) and Tanganyika (in Katanga). According to the constitution promulgated in 2006, these two districts are due to become provinces in their own right. The zone’s surface area is 457 401 km². That is almost a fifth of the DRC’s total surface area, which is fifteen times greater than that of Belgium. This figure, however, should be considered as an approximate calculation, because the surface area of some regions varies according to the different sources quoted. Table 1. Surface area covered by the study Geographicalzone Surface Percentageof area totalsurface (km²) area NorthKivu 59,483 2.54% SouthKivu1 65,070 2.77% Maniema 132,250 5.64% Ituri 65,658 2.80% Tanganyika2 134,940 5.75% Total(zonecoveredbythe 457,401 19.51% study) DRC 2,345,000 100% 1. Other sources quote figures of between 64 851 km² and 69 130 km² for the surface area of South Kivu. 2. Certain sources state that the Tanganyika district’s surface area is 150 723 km². The exact figure for the population in this region and the DRC as a whole is not known. According to relatively recent figures, there are more than 18 million inhabitants who live in the following areas: The 2005 election census figures can also be considered reliable, although this census was not compulsory and only targeted the population of those aged 1 Othersourcesquotefiguresofbetween64851km²and69130km²forthesurfaceareaofSouthKivu. 2 CertainsourcesstatethattheTanganyikadistrict’ssurfaceareais150723km². Small ARms IN EasTERN CONGO – A SURVEY ON THE PERCEPTION OF INSECURITY THE ZONE COVERED BY THE STUDY Table 2. Population covered by the study Geographicalzone Numberof Percentageof Density inhabitants1 totalpopulation (inhab./ km²) NorthKivu 5,189,372 8.28% 87 SouthKivu 4,715,056 7.53% 72 Maniema 2,257,041 3.60% 17 Ituri 4,200,000 6.71% 64 Tanganyika 1,922,863 3.07% 14 Total(zonecoveredbythe 18,284,332 29.19% 40 study) DRC 62,636,000 100% 27 3. Source: OCHA’s 2009 Humanitarian Action Plan, except for Tanganyika (2006 health zone census) and DRC (UNICEF 2007). Table 3. Electorate covered by survey Geographicalzone Registered Percentage voters oftotal (to17/12/05) registered voters NorthKivu 2,462,012 9.84% SouthKivu 1,666,615 6.66% Maniema 629,894 2.52% Ituri 1,399,508 5.6% Tanganyika 819,063 3.27% Total(zonecoveredbythe 6,977,092 27.88% study) TotalDRC 25,021,703 100% at least 18 at the time. On 17 December 2005, when the census came to a close, almost 7 million people had been registered in the zone surveyed. These figures show certain discrepancies with those in the previous table. The election census, in particular, suggests that the population in Maniema is lower than Tanganyika’s, although the opposite is the case according to estimates in the previous table. This anomaly could be explained by the fact that in the first table, the figures for Tanganyika appear less recent than those for Maniema and would therefore not have taken natural population growth into account. 1 Source:OCHA’s2009HumanitarianActionPlan,exceptforTanganyika(2006healthzonecensus)andDRC (UNICEF2007). Small ARms IN EasTERN CONGO – A SURVEY ON THE PERCEPTION OF INSECURITY In the zone studied, the two estimates illustrate that population density is significantly higher than the national average: 28% - 29% of the Congolese population live in a region that accounts for slightly less than a fifth of the country’s surface area. We also observe that population distribution is very uneven within this zone and that most people live in the smallest region (North Kivu). Population density in South Kivu and Ituri is also significantly higher than the Congolese average. Conversely, the two biggest regions (Maniema and Tanganyika) are the least populated areas, with population densities that are less than the national average.

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