SURVIVING UNDER IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS Bukavu Challenged by Multiple Conflicts
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BLAISE MUHIRE FOR USAID SURVIVING UNDER IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS Bukavu Challenged by Multiple Conflicts MAY 2019 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Management Systems International (MSI), A Tetra Tech Company. (THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK) Surviving Under Impossible Conditions Bukavu Challenged by Multiple Conflicts Contracted under contract AID-OAA-I-13-00042, Task Order AID-660-TO-16-00004 DRC Solutions for Peace and Recovery (SPR) DISCLAIMER The authors’ views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................... II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 1. RESEARCH CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................... 1 2. RESEARCH AIMS ....................................................................................................................................... 2 3. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH AREA AND METHODOLIGICAL APPROACH......... 2 3.1 OVERVIEW OF THE CITY OF BUKAVU ............................................................................... 2 3.2 METHODS AND TECHNIQUES USED .................................................................................. 3 3.3 RESEARCH REPORT STRUCTURE ......................................................................................... 3 3.4 STUDY SCOPE AND BOUNDARIES ...................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 1. RESEARCH OVERVIEW AND LITERATURE REVIEW ............ 4 1.1 PARTICIPATORY CONFLICT ANALYSIS PROCESS OVERVIEW ................................................... 4 1.2 REVIEW OF PREVIOUS ACTIVITY ......................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER II. RESULTS OF PARTICIPATORY CONFLICT ANALYSES ...... 8 2.1 COMMUNE OF IBANDA .......................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 COMMUNE OF BAGIRA ......................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER III - DISCUSSION OF RESULTS: KEY DRIVERS OF CONFLICT ................................................................................................................................. 12 3.1 ANALYSIS OF THE KEY DRIVERS OF CONFLICT IN THE TWO COMMUNES ...................... 12 3.1.1 ANALYSIS OF THE KEY DRIVERS OF CONFLICT IN THE COMMUNE OF IBANDA 12 3.1.2 ANALYSIS OF THE KEY DRIVERS OF CONFLICT IN THE COMMUNE OF BAGIRA . 13 3.2 LOCAL INITIATIVES AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION MECHANISMS .......................... 14 3.2.1 ONGOING INITIATIVES TAKEN BY STAKEHOLDERS ...................................................... 14 3.2.2 PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH IN THE COMMUNES OF IBANDA AND BAGIRA ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 3.3 EVALUATION OF THE LOCAL FRAMEWORKS’ CAPACITY FOR CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION ...................................................................................................................................... 18 3.4 DRIVERS OF CONFLICT AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION PROCESSES ....................... 18 3.5 CHALLENGES OF CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION IN THE FACE OF STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS ........................................................................................................................................................ 21 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................. 23 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................ 23 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 24 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................... 25 ANNEXES .............................................................................................................. 26 i | SURIVING UNDER IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS USAID.GOV ACRONYMS AFEDEM Appui aux femmes démunies et aux enfants marginalisés (Support for Impoverished Women and Marginalized Children) OMG Other Marginalized Groups BIAC Banque internationale pour l’Afrique au Congo (International Bank for Africa in the Congo) CCD Comité communal de développement (Communal Development Committee) CLD Comité local de développement (Local Development Committee) CLSP Conseil local de sécurité pour la paix (Local Security Council for Peace) CLPD Comité local de paix et de développement (Local Peace and Development Committee) CONADER Commission nationale de démobilisation et de réinsertion (National Commission for Demobilization and Reintegration) COOPEC Coopérative d’épargne et de crédit (Savings and Credit Union) MFI Microfinance institution ISPDE Institut supérieur pour la promotion de la paix, du développement et de l’environnement (Higher Institute for the Promotion of Peace, Development and the Environment) MECREBU Mutuelle de crédit de Bukavu (Bukavu Credit Union) MSI Management System International NGO Non-governmental organization SME Small and medium-sized enterprises PAR Participatory action research DRC Democratic Republic of Congo REGIDESO Régie de distribution d’eau en RD Congo (Public water utility company in the Democratic Republic of Congo) RIO Réseau d’innovation organisationnelle (Organizational Innovation Network) SYKASH Syndicat d’initiative pour le développement de Kasha (Kasha Development Union) SNEL Société nationale d’électricité (National Electricity Company) SPR Solutions for Peace and Recovery UCECM Union des consommateurs d’eau de Cikera et Mulambula (Cikera and Mulambula Water Consumers' Union) USAID United States Agency for International Development USAID.GOV SURIVING UNDER IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS | ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report summarizes the results from the participatory research analyses carried out in two communes—Ibanda and Bagira—in the city of Bukavu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The analysis is based on data from ten conflicts analyzed and prioritized by local communities (five per commune) and two participatory action research reports conducted with local communities (one per commune). The analysis presented in this report does not simply map the conflict dynamics. Moving beyond an overview of the relationships between actors, the interests that stand between them and the needs that fuel the situation, the report takes a balanced view that seeks to place these conflicts within an entire system of broken governance in Bukavu. This study shows that beyond the ten conflicts included in this research, Bukavu's current problems are the result of two main drivers. The first of these is poor governance, characterized by the state’s weak authority and its inability to meet the population’s basic needs. The second driver is Bukavu's housing process, which has been significantly impacted by repeated armed conflict and rural flight, with no socio-economic integration plan in place consistent with city planning. This study concludes that the combination of these two drivers continues to have a widespread impact on all areas of life, and in doing so generates multiple conflict situations. INTRODUCTION 1. RESEARCH CONTEXT The Solutions for Peace and Recovery (SPR-Amani kwa Maendeleo) project is funded by USAID and implemented by a consortium of organizations: Management Systems International (MSI), International Alert and the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The SPR project aims to strengthen and increase social cohesion in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by implementing solutions sourced from participatory analysis and research into conflicts, and through the inclusion and empowerment of women and other marginalized groups in seven territories: Walungu, Kabare, Kalehe and the city of Bukavu in South Kivu; Masisi and the city of Goma in North Kivu. The project has undertaken to produce quality participatory analyses for USAID on the most pressing conflicts experienced by communities in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the results of which will feed into advocacy strategy at the local, provincial, national and regional levels. For the city of Bukavu, this study synthesizes the results of analysis carried out on the ten conflicts mentioned in the executive summary above. Data was collected and analyzed using a participatory approach that included stakeholders at all possible levels, taking into account gender and marginalized groups. This data and analysis were produced through the following SPR activities: • Setting up Local Peace and Development Committees (CLPDs) in the communes of Ibanda and Bagira to facilitate conflict analysis and create two sustainable structures for peace and development; • Conducting participatory conflict analyses in the two communes in order to identify and prioritize these conflicts and establish peace-building