Policy & Practice Brief

ISSUE # 020 Policy & Practice Brief December Knowledge for durable peace 2012 The peace process in the DRC: A transformation quagmire By John Ahere1 Since the 1990s the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has continued to be mired in intractable conflicts. Despite the establishment of an elected government in 2006 following the implementation of a series of peace agreements, the country still faces challenges in consolidating peace throughout its territory. The eastern regions of the DRC have consistently experienced high insecurity and repeated 30° 32° incidences of violence, often as a result of interference of neighbouringLake countries. Albert The recurring episodes of violence in both the eastern and other regions of the DRC indicate that the process of i lik conflict transformation is impeded by deep structural issues inm society. These issues must be addressed e Kisangani S Fort Portal if peace in the country, and the Great Lakes region, is to be achieved. Kampala Kasese Butembo Equator 0° L. George 0° Ubundu UGANDA L u Lake Edward a l Lubutu a Mbarara b a Tingi-Tingi NORTH ( C Amisi KIVU L a k e o n g Rutshuru o L K V i c t o r i a ) owa Masisi ag L Katale era o Walikale Bukoba m Punia a Kasese m Ul i in Kabunga Goma di Hombo Kigali 2° Lake 2° DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC Kivu RWANDA Katshungu Bukavu OF CONGO Ngara Kalima Shabunda Mwanza Kindu SOUTH E UNITED REPUBLIC OF lila KIVU National capital Uvira Bujumbura TANZANIA Town BURUNDI Airport 26° Kama Kibondo International boundary Major road 4° L 4° Railroad a L Fizi k u 0 50 100 150 km Kasongo a e m a T Kasulu 0 50 100 mi a n Kigoma g a n s y ra Malaga The boundaries and names shown and the designations used i The crisis in the DRC is not only a threat to the country, but alsok to peace onand this map security do not imply official in theendorsement entire or acceptance Great a by the United Nations. Lakes region 28° 30° 32° Introduction issues, and others that will be discussed in this brief, need to be comprehensively addressed if conflict Despite the fact that the DRC is wealthy in transformation in the DRC is to be realised. natural resources, vast populations continue to be Conflict transformation here refers to changes politically and economically marginalised. Delivery in all, any, or some combination of the following of basic services and social amenities beyond matters regarding a conflict: the general context the capital, Kinshasa, continues to be a challenge. or framing of the situation, the contending parties, Historical injustices contingent on the greed the issues at stake, the processes or procedures and manipulation of leadership structures that governing the predicament, or the structures characterised the country’s colonial history, which affecting any of the aforementioned.2 A long-term spilled over into post-independence arrangements, process, conflict transformation is ultimately about have not been tackled and this has cultivated mutual changing individual attitudes and addressing the suspicions among different ethnic groups. These need for structural reforms. This Policy & Practice Brief forms part of ACCORD’s knowledge production work to inform peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. The crisis in the DRC is a cause for concern which continues and Inclusive Agreement of December 2002 which finally ended to dominate international discussion. The extremely violent and the war. It is important to note that these different peace resource-driven nature of the conflict, massive displacement agreements did not succeed in stemming the violence in the of people, as well as sexual and gender-based violence that DRC and this can be attributed to the fact that the conflict had characterises the conflict in the DRC continue to shock many actors whose interests were not sufficiently addressed the world and to hold the attention of multiple actors. to compel them to agree to enter into any agreement(s) or This is evident in the commitment of the African Union (AU) to respect the one(s) entered into. Even though these agreements formulate and adopt strategies to resolve the conflict. In 2005, did not effectively curb violence in many parts of the DRC, the AU and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development they served as instrumental pillars for the Global and Inclusive worked on a post-conflict reconstruction framework which is Agreement which ended the Second Congo War and which led structured around three broad phases: the emergency phase, to the formation of a unified Transitional Government of the the transitional phase and the developmental phase. Currently DRC in 2003. This agreement has, however, not succeeded in under implementation, this strategy is powered by multiple ridding the DRC of violence, especially in the eastern regions, actors. Since 1999, US$ 8.73 billion have been spent to fund in what can be considered as the third episode of the conflict.5 the United Nations’ (UN) peacekeeping efforts in the DRC.3 The UN has maintained its presence through the UN Stabilisation Since 1999, US$ 8.73 billion have been spent Mission in the DRC, whose mandate was renewed on 27 June to fund the United Nations’ peacekeeping 2012, placing emphasis on ensuring the protection of civilians. efforts in the DRC The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has taken a regional stance to finding a lasting solution The origins of the current conflict can be traced back to 2003, to the DRC crisis, noting that the emergency in the DRC is not when the country was being unified after years of civil war, only a threat to the country, but also to the peace and security and all belligerents were obliged to integrate their troops of the entire Great Lakes region. It is important to note that into the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the whilst significant attention has been paid to the DRC by both Congo (FARDC). A group of officers from the Rwanda-backed regional and international actors, the humanitarian crisis and RCD, however, refused to join the FARDC. They launched violence still continues. In spite of the numerous peace talks, a rebellion which they called the National Congress for the elaborate peace processes and signed peace agreements, the Defence of the People (CNDP). In January 2009, the CNDP DRC continues to experience high levels of human insecurity. was integrated into the FARDC after a peace deal. In April 2012, This Policy & Practice Brief examines why peace has been so CNDP members in the FARDC mutinied and subsequently elusive in the DRC and offers recommendations that could formed the March 23 (M23) rebel group. The mutiny was a pre- contribute to the sustainable resolution of the current crisis. emptive move to prevent their leaders from being dispersed from eastern DRC to other parts of the country. The Rwandan Background to the conflict government has been accused of supporting the M23.6 The DRC has been deeply fractured by a conflict that can The three phases of the war in the DRC were also reportedly 4 be divided into three parts. The First Congo War began in fuelled and supported by various national and multinational November 1996 and ended with the toppling of President corporations (MNCs) which sought to obtain mining Mobutu Sese Seko in May 1997. In this war, Angola, Rwanda concessions or contracts in the country on terms that were and Uganda formed a coalition against the DRC forces. more favourable than they would have received in countries After a brief lull in the fighting, the new president, Laurent where there was peace and stability. MNCs reportedly Kabila, fell out with his Rwandan and Ugandan allies who had developed networks of key political, military and business elites been instrumental in ousting the Mobutu regime and installing to exploit the DRC’s natural resources.7 MNCs also traded with Kabila in power. This falling out sparked the Second Congo War rebels who, upon taking control of mineral-rich areas, set up which began in August 1998. The second war was characterised financial and administrative bodies so as to obtain revenue from by the participation of many actors in complex alignments. the minerals. Revenue gained from trade in the DRC’s natural Some joined the war in support of Kabila, whereas others resources has assisted all the armed belligerents to fund their joined to seek to oust him. On one side there was Angola, Chad, participation in the conflict, as well as to enrich themselves. the DRC, Namibia, Sudan, Zimbabwe and the Maï-Maï and Hutu-aligned forces. On the other side there was Burundi, Why has peace been elusive in the DRC? Uganda, Rwanda and the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo, the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) and Tutsi- There has been significant international attention and continental aligned forces. Ending the second war was accomplished through commitment through the AU and sub-regional commitment four incremental peace agreements: the Lusaka Ceasefire through the ICGLR to stem the violence in the DRC. The UN Agreement (1999), the Sun City Agreement (April 2002), the has deployed its most expensive peacekeeping mission to the Pretoria Agreement (July 2002) and the Luanda Agreement DRC. Its mandate has over the years been revised to increase (September 2002) that ultimately contributed to the Global the capacity of this force to protect civilians. Other efforts The peace process in the DRC: A transformation quagmire 2 have been made by various actors to build peace in the DRC. of being responsible for dozens of bombings in public areas Civil society groups continue to work at grassroots level to in Uganda and uses kidnapping and the murder of civilians to transform the roots and culture of violence, but vicious cycles create fear in the local population and to undermine confidence of brutality remain worryingly high.

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