DOCSLIB.ORG

The Persistence of Armed Groups and the Widening of Their Scope of Action, Response to the Territorial Under- Administration in Walungu, Kalehe, and Fizi

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Persistence of Armed Groups and the Widening of Their Scope of Action, Response to the Territorial Under- Administration in Walungu, Kalehe, and Fizi MEETING BETWEEN 2 SYNIGL INTERVIEWERS AND THE LEADER OF THE MAI-MAI KIRIKICHO ARMED GROUP WITH HIS FOLLOWERS THE PERSISTENCE OF ARMED GROUPS AND THE WIDENING OF THEIR SCOPE OF ACTION, RESPONSE TO THE TERRITORIAL UNDER- ADMINISTRATION IN WALUNGU, KALEHE, AND FIZI FEBRUARY 2021 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by the Synergy of Great Lakes Initiatives (SYNIGL) for Management Systems International (MSI), A Tetra Tech Company. (THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK) THE COMMUNAUTARIZATION OF THE “ARMED GROUPS” PHENOMENON IN THE PROVINCE OF SOUTH KIVU: Socio-economic and political analysis This article was produced for review by the American Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared by the Synergy of Great Lakes Initiatives (SYNIGL) for Management Systems International (MSI). Under Contract No. AID-OAA-I-13-00042/AID-660-TO-16-00004 Authors: Synergy of Great Lakes Initiatives (SYNIGL) with the consultancy of Christian Kamala Kaghoma1, Adolphe Kilomba Sumaili2 and Arnold Nyaluma Mulagano3. 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. 1 Professor at the Catholic University of Bukavu (UCB), Official University of Bukavu (UOB) and Research Center in Social Science and Public Policy (CRESP2-DRC): [email protected], [email protected]. 2 Professor at the Higher Medical Institute (ISTM-Bukavu) and Congolese Center for Transitional Justice (CCTJ-CCJT): [email protected]. 3 Professor at the Catholic University of Bukavu (UCB), Dean at Mulagano in Bukavu: [email protected]. (THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK) CONTENTS ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................... II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 2 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 4 QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DATA COLLECTED IN WALUNGU, KALEHE, AND FIZI. .......................................................................................................................... 5 1.1. DATA COLLECTED IN MULAMBA, WALUNGU TERRITORY IN OCTOBER 2020. ....... 5 1.2. DATA COLLECTED IN KALEHE: MBINGA-SUD, BUZI, AND ZIRALO. ............................... 8 1.3. DATA COLLECTED IN THE FIZI TERRITORY: NGANJA AND MUTAMBALA. .............. 10 QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF COLLECTED DATA ............................................... 14 POLITICAL CRYSTALLIZATION OF ARMED GROUPS IN EASTERN DRC ................ 19 3.1. THE POLITICAL FACE OF ARMED GROUPS ............................................................................. 19 3.2. ARMED GROUPS, A RESPONSE TO THE UNDER-ADMINISTRATION ............................. 20 3.3. BAD ADMINISTRATION FERMENTS THE FIELD OF ARMED GROUPS ............................ 21 3.4. IDENTITY MANIPULATION IN AN UNFINISHED DEMOCRACY ...................................... 21 3.5. ARMED GROUPS IN LOCAL SOCIO-POLITICAL DYNAMICS ............................................. 21 3.6. REGIONAL TENSIONS ARE EXTENDING TO THE CONGOLESE HILLS ......................... 21 3.7. FACTORS OF THE POLITICAL CRYSTALLIZATION OF ARMED GROUPS ..................... 22 3.8. AVENUES FOR ESCAPING THE CIRCUS OF ARMED GROUPS ........................................... 23 CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND AVENUES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. .. 26 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 28 USAID.GOV COMMUNAUTARIZATION OF THE “ARMED GROUP” PHENOMENON IN SOUTH KIVU PROVINCE | i ACRONYMS DDR Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration AFDEM Appui aux Femmes Démunies et Enfants Marginalisés (AFDEM)/Support for poor women and marginalized children DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo ANR National Intelligence Agency RCD Congolese Rally for Democracy SYNIGL Synergy of Great Lakes Initiatives CNDP National Congress for the Defence of the People GA Groupe armée / Armed Group DDRRR Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Reintegration and Resettlement FARDC Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo FDLR Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda GEC Congo Research Group GRIP Group for Research and Information on Peace and Security PNKB Kahuzi-Biega National Park MSI Management Systems International NGO Non-Governmental Organization STEP Stabilization of eastern DRC for Peace USAID United States Agency for International Development MONUSCO United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC / Mission de l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en République démocratique du Congo ii | COMMUNAUTARIZATION OF THE “ARMED GROUP” PHENOMENON IN THE PROVINCE OF SOUTH KIVU USAID.GOV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper is the result of research conducted to answer the following fundamental questions: • What relationships do communities have with armed groups in Mulamba, Buzi, Mbinga South, Ziralo, Kalonge and Fizi (Nganja and Mutambala)? • What is the regional dimension of this phenomenon? • What political reading can we do on this phenomenon? In order to provide answers to these questions, a qualitative survey and a quantitative survey were conducted. The results are unambiguous. They demonstrate the persistence of armed groups as in 2018 and the widening of the phenomenon in the Fizi territory. Compared to 2018, this phenomenon is rooted in its links with local communities. 57% of respondents now report without fear or hesitation that they collaborate with armed groups in Mulamba, Buzi, Ziralo, Mbinga South, and Kalonge. As for the Fizi territory, the relational dynamics are outright formal between armed groups and local communities (Bembe, Fuliru, and Banyamulenge). In Fizi, communities come together to decide on the creation and survival of armed groups. The regional dimension reveals that armed groups exist and persist to combat foreign armed groups’ operations that in scum the territories of Walungu, Kalehe, and Fizi. The data collected also shows that the groups persist with a view to combating cooperation between the Congolese army and foreign armies. In political terms, this paper demonstrates the crystallization of the armed group phenomenon. Indeed, the political changeover that took place on January 24, 2019 at the summit of the Congolese state has provoked a dynamic of surrender by the armed groups in eastern DRC.4 In the wake, many had announced their surrender to assist the new regime in its clear determination to restore peace. These mass surrenders had been the result, on the one hand, of the hope generated with the advent of a new regime and on the other hand the fear of being crushed militarily. In view of the facts, we realize that when Joseph Kabila Kabange passed power over to Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo on January 24, 2019, the population had not yet perceived the game being played. Even armed groups had let their guard down a little, believing that perhaps the coming power would crush them. It is this fear that explains the lull on different fronts at the beginning of 2019. Very quickly, after a few months there weren't even the first signs of the long-awaited change. On the contrary, the situation was getting worse. The announced change was only a facade. It was in this context of hope and fear that there has been an upsurge in armed groups. To deal with this phenomenon, this paper recommends a comprehensive solution to support the implementation of basic social services such as education, health, and safety. The lack of basic services provision in these places gives carte blanche to armed groups that eventually exploit a perceived vacuum of authority bringing more trouble than solutions to local populations. 4 See Claude Sengenya, RDC : les enjeux des nouvelles vagues de redditions des miliciens dans l’Est, June 21 2020, available at https://actualite.cd/2020/06/21/rdc-les-enjeux-des-nouvelles-vagues-de-redditions-des- miliciens-dans-lest accessed on December 6, 2020 at 3:44 pm. USAID.GOV COMMUNAUTARIZATION OF THE “ARMED GROUP” PHENOMENON IN SOUTH KIVU PROVINCE | 1 2 | COMMUNAUTARIZATION OF THE “ARMED GROUP” PHENOMENON IN SOUTH KIVU PROVINCE USAID.GOV INTRODUCTION The persistence of armed groups in the Walungu, Kalehe and Fizi territory proves that the Congolese State does not fully control, at least not yet, its 2,345,410 square km. These armed groups challenge the sovereignty to the point that we can state with Professor Dr. Nissé Nzereka Mughendi that “this country's wealth has so far been of almost no use, neither for the Congolese State, nor for its people as a whole, nor for stable entrepreneurship, capable of stimulating economic growth. Despite the deregulation of small-scale mining in 1982, the country's GDP has continued to fall.”5 With the increasing number of armed groups to date,6 it must be said that the new President of the Republic has not yet mastered the situation on the ground, as his accession to power has not changed anything in terms of public security in Mulamba, Buzi, Kalonge, Ziralo, Mbinga South, and Fizi. Those who exploit armed groups and army generals inclined to exploit minerals through armed groups continued their criminal activities to the detriment of the Congolese State in
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Acte Argeo Final
    GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE INDICATIONS OF THE GEOLOGIC DEVELOPMENT AND HYDROTHERMAL ACTIVITIES OF D.R.C. Getahun Demissie Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, [email protected] ABSTRACT Published sources report the occurrence of more than 135 thermal springs in D.R.C. All occur in the eastern part of the country, in association with the Western rift and the associated rifted and faulted terrains lying to its west. Limited information was available on the characteristics of the thermal features and the natural conditions under which they occur. Literature study of the regional distribution of these features and of the few relatively better known thermal spring areas, coupled with the evaluation of the gross geologic conditions yielded encouraging results. The occurrence of the anomalously large number of thermal springs is attributed to the prevalence of abnormally high temperature conditions in the upper crust induced by a particularly high standing region of anomalously hot asthenosphere. Among the 29 thermal springs the locations of which could be determined, eight higher temperature features which occur in six geologic environments were found to warrant further investigation. The thermal springs occur in all geologic terrains. Thermal fluid ascent from depth is generally influenced by faulting while its emergence at the surface is controlled by the near-surface hydrology. These factors allow the adoption of simple hydrothermal fluid circulation models which can guide exploration. Field observations and thermal water sampling for chemical analyses are recommended for acquiring the data which will allow the selection of the most promising prospects for detailed, integrated multidisciplinary exploration. An order of priorities is suggested based on economic and technical criteria.
    [Show full text]
  • Identity, Territory, and Power in the Eastern Congo Rift Valley Institute | Usalama Project
    RIFT VALLEY INSTITUTE | USALAMA PROJECT UNDERSTANDING CONGOLESE ARMED GROUPS SOUTH KIVU IDENTITY, TERRITORY, AND POWER IN THE EASTERN CONGO RIFT VALLEY INSTITUTE | USALAMA PROJECT South Kivu Identity, territory, and power in the eastern Congo KOEN VLASSENROOT Published in 2013 by the Rift Valley Institute 1 St Luke’s Mews, London W11 1DF, United Kingdom PO Box 52771 GPO, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya THE USALAMA PROJECT The Rift Valley Institute’s Usalama Project documents armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project is supported by Humanity United and Open Square, and undertaken in collaboration with the Catholic University of Bukavu. THE RIFT VALLEY INSTITUTE (RVI) The Rift Valley Institute (www.riftvalley.net) works in Eastern and Central Africa to bring local knowledge to bear on social, political, and economic development. THE AUTHOR Koen Vlassenroot is Professor of Political Science and director of the Conflict Research Group at the University of Ghent. He is associated to the Egmont Institute and a RVI fellow. He co-authored Conflict and Social Transformation in Eastern DR Congo (2004) and co-edited The Lord’s Resistance Army: Myth or Reality? (2010). He is the lead researcher on the DRC for the Justice and Security Research Programme. CREDITS RVI ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR: John Ryle RVI PROgRAMME DIRECTOR: Christopher Kidner RVI USALAMA PROJECT DIRECTOR: Jason Stearns RVI USALAMA DEPUTY PROJECT DIRECTOR: Willy Mikenye RVI Great LAKES PROgRAMME MANAgER: Michel Thill RVI Information OFFICER: Tymon Kiepe EDITORIAL consultant: Fergus Nicoll Report DESIgN: Lindsay Nash Maps: Jillian Luff, MAPgrafix PRINTINg: Intype Libra Ltd., 3/4 Elm Grove Industrial Estate, London SW19 4HE ISBN 978-1-907431-25-8 COVER CAPTION Congolese woman carrying firewood in the hills of Minembwe, South Kivu (2012).
    [Show full text]
  • Public Annex
    ICC-01/04-01/10-396-Anx 02-09-2011 1/6 CB PT Public Annex ICC-01/04-01/10-396-Anx 02-09-2011 2/6 CB PT I. General contextual elements on the recent FLDR activities in the KIVUS: 1. Since the beginning of 2011, the FARDC conducted unilateral military operations under the “AMANI LEO” (peace today) operation against the FDLR and other armed groups in North Kivu, mainly in Walikale and Lubero territories, and in South Kivu, mainly in Fizi, Uvira and Shabunda territories. 1 2. The UN Group of Experts in its interim report on 7 June 2011 states that the FDLR remain militarily the strongest armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.2 3. The UN Secretary-General further reported on 17 January 2011 that “the FDLR military leadership structure remained largely intact, and dispersed”.3 The FDLR established their presences in remote areas of eastern Maniema and northern Katanga provinces 4 and have sought to reinforce their presence in Rutshuru territory.5 4. The UN GoE reported as late as June 2011 on the FDLR’s continued recruitment 6 and training of mid-level commanders 7. The FDLR also 1 Para 5, page 2 S/2011/20, Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 17 January 2011 (http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2011/20 ), Para 32, page 9, S/2011/345 Interim report of the Group of Experts on the DRC submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of Security Council resolution 1952 (2010), 7 June 2011 (http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2011/345
    [Show full text]
  • 500 Years Is Long Enough! Human Depravity in the Congo
    500 Years Is Long Enough! Human Depravity in the Congo By Robert J. Burrowes Region: sub-Saharan Africa Global Research, May 25, 2018 Theme: Crimes against Humanity, History I would like to tell you something about human depravity and illustrate just how widespread it is among those we often regard as ‘responsible’. I am going to use the Democratic Republic of the Congo as my example. As I illustrate and explain what has happened to the Congo and its people during the past 500 years, I invite you to consider my essential point: Human depravity has no limit unless people like you (hopefully) and me take some responsibility for ending it. Depravity, barbarity and violent exploitation will not end otherwise because major international organizations (such as the UN), national governments and corporations all benefit from it and are almost invariably led by individuals too cowardly to act on the truth. The Congo Prior to 1482, the area of central Africa now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was part of the Kingdom of the Kongo. It was populated by some of the greatest civilizations in human history. Slavery However, in that fateful year of 1482, the mouth of the Congo river, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, became known to Europeans when the Portuguese explorerDiogo Cao claimed he ‘discovered’ it. By the 1530s, more than five thousand slaves a year (many from inland regions of the Kongo) were being transported to distant lands, mostly in the Americas. Hence, as documented by Adam Hothschild, the Congo was first exploited by Europeans during the Atlantic slave trade.
    [Show full text]
  • Traceability in Artisanal Gold Supply Chains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lessons Learned from the Kampene Gold Pilot Project Imprint
    Traceability in Artisanal Gold Supply Chains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lessons Learned from the Kampene Gold Pilot Project Imprint Editor: Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, BGR) Stilleweg 2 30655 Hannover Germany www.bgr.bund.de Authors: Martin Neumann, Bali Barume, Benoît Ducellier, Alain Ombeni, Uwe Näher, Philip Schütte, Ulrike von Baggehufwudt, Désirée Ruppen, Yannick Weyns Contact: Dr. Bali Barume, Dr. Philip Schütte Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe Stilleweg 2 30655 Hannover [email protected] Date: March 2019 ISBN: 978-3-943566-57-4 (PDF) Cover photos: © Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe Copyright: © 2019 Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe Traceability in Artisanal Gold Supply Chains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lessons Learned from the Kampene Gold Pilot Project Martin Neumann, Bali Barume, Benoît Ducellier, Alain Ombeni, Uwe Näher, Philip Schütte, Ulrike von Baggehufwudt, Désirée Ruppen, Yannick Weyns Hannover, March 2019 Traceability in Artisanal Gold Supply Chains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Executive Summary The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) of gold constitutes one of the most relevant sources of informal employment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The sector has grown over the past decade and has a high potential to contribute to poverty reduction and economic development, especially in remote rural areas. Gold mining activities provide a livelihood base for around 233,000 small-scale miners and their families in the eastern DRC. Weak control over ASM gold supply chains is one of the key challenges for responsibility in the sector. While the DRC exports significant quantities of gold from large- scale industrial mining, its annual ASM gold exports average only 200-300kg, with the 56 kg officially exported in 2018 marking a dramatic low in recent years.
    [Show full text]
  • DR Congo: Weekly Humanitarian Update 29 Januarychad - 02 February 2018
    NIGERIA DR Congo: Weekly Humanitarian Update 29 JanuaryCHAD - 02 February 2018 HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR BOLDUC WRAPS UP TANGANYIKA: UNFPA MEDICAL SUPPORT TO THE MISSION TO THE EAST PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Humanitarian Coordinator Kim Bolduc, DR Congo’s most senior REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, handed over five humanitarian official, on 5 February wrapped up her first mission tons of medical equipment to Tanganyika provincial authorities. to the Kasai region and Tanganyika Province, during which she The aid is intended for Nyunzu, Nyemba and Kansimba health took stock of humanitarian needs in these two provinces that are Nord-Ubangi Bas-Uele zones for tens of thousands of nursing and pregnant women as among the most affected by internal displacement. In Kasai, she Haut-Uele well as survivors of sexual violence. visited Matamba village whose population has swollen with the CAMEROON Sud-Ubangi MEASLES VACCINATION CAMPAIGN TARGETS OVER arrival of thousands of displaced people, mainly women and Mongala children. She heard testimonies from women who recounted 360,000 CHILDREN violence and rights violations as the region spiraled into a cycle of Ituri violence. She also visited a center run by a Congolese NGO that Tshopo South Kivu health services and humanitarian partners on Saturday REPUBLIC Equateur assists teenage girls who had been enrolled within armed groups. UGANDA OF have wrapped up a measles vaccination campaign targeting over In Kalemie, Bolduc visited the Katanyika site where some 13,000 GABON 360,000 children aged between 6 months old and 10 years in CONGO Nord-Kivu people have taken refuge following community violence.
    [Show full text]
  • Le Président Du Conseil De Sécurité Présente
    Le Président du Conseil de sécurité présente ses compliments aux membres du Conseil et a l'honneur de transmettre, pour information, le texte d'une lettre datée du 2 juin 2020, adressée au Président du Conseil de sécurité, par le Groupe d’experts sur la République démocratique du Congo reconduit suivant la résolution 2478 (2019) du Conseil de sécurité, ainsi que les pièces qui y sont jointes. Cette lettre et les pièces qui y sont jointes seront publiées comme document du Conseil de sécurité sous la cote S/2020/482. Le 2 juin 2020 The President of the Security Council presents his compliments to the members of the Council and has the honour to transmit herewith, for their information, a copy of a letter dated 2 June 2020 from the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo extended pursuant to Security Council resolution 2478 (2019) addressed to the President of the Security Council, and its enclosures. This letter and its enclosures will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/2020/482. 2 June 2020 UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES POSTAL ADDRESS-ADRESSE POSTALE: UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. 10017 CABLE ADDRESS -ADRESSE TELEGRAPHIQUE: UNATIONS NEWYORK REFERENCE: S/AC.43/2020/GE/OC.171 2 juin 2020 Monsieur Président, Les membres du Groupe d’experts sur la République démocratique du Congo, dont le mandat a été prorogé par le Conseil de sécurité dans sa résolution 2478 (2019), ont l’honneur de vous faire parvenir leur rapport final, conformément au paragraphe 4 de ladite résolution.
    [Show full text]
  • DR Congo 2015 Update
    Analysis of the interactive map of artisanal mining areas in eastern DR Congo 2015 update International Peace Information Service (IPIS) 1 Editorial Analysis of the interactive map of artisanal mining areas in eastern DR Congo: 2015 update Antwerp, October 2016 Front Cover image: Cassiterite mine Malemba-Nkulu, Katanga (IPIS 2015) Authors: Yannick Weyns, Lotte Hoex & Ken Matthysen International Peace Information Service (IPIS) is an independent research institute, providing governmental and non-governmental actors with information and analysis to build sustainable peace and development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The research is centred around four programmes: Natural Resources, Business & Human Rights, Arms Trade & Security, and Conflict Mapping. Map and database: Filip Hilgert, Alexandre Jaillon, Manuel Claeys Bouuaert & Stef Verheijen The 2015 mapping of artisanal mining sites in eastern DRC was funded by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and PROMINES. The execution of the mapping project was a collaboration between IPIS and the Congolese Mining Register (Cadastre Minier, CAMI). The analysis of the map was funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD). The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of IPIS and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of IOM, PROMINES, CAMI or the Belgian government. 2 Table of contents Editorial ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Executive summary .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Volcano Eruption Goma, DRC Situation Report #4 1St June2021
    UNICEF DRC | Volcano Eruption (Goma) Situation Report Volcano Eruption Goma, DRC Situation Report #4 1st June2021 Situation Overview The sudden eruption of Mount Nyiragongo on the evening of 22 May 2021, led to two lava flows towards Kibumba park as well as Buhene and Kibati in the North-East of Goma, DRC. 32 people died as a direct result of the eruption (either burned by the lava or asphyxiated by fumes), including three children, while 40 have been reported missing1. As of 26 May, it is estimated that the eruption directly affected 20 villages within the groupements of Kibati, Munigi and Mutaho, with an estimated 3,629 burned houses 2 . According to the WASH cluster 3 , over 195,000 people might have Map 1: Location of the evacuated and host areas (source: UNICEF) difficulty in accessing safe water due to a disabled water reservoir directly damaged by the lava. while access to electricity was cut off in large parts of Goma city. Seven schools (five primary schools4 and two secondary schools) and 37 health centers 5 have been affected by the volcanic eruption. During the night of 27 May, the government decided to evacuate ten neighbourhoods of Goma city (Majengo, Mabanga Nord, Mabanga Sud, Bujovu, Virunga, Murara, Mapendo, Mikeno, Kayembe, Le Volcan) towards Sake, thus leading to important population movements and increased humanitarian needs, before asking the population to go to the town of Rutshuru instead on May 28. As of June 1st, according OCHA6, this evacuation has led to the displacement of around 234,000 people in DRC, with around 63,000 people displaced to Sake, around 67,000 to Minova, around 53,000 to Rutshuru, 11,000 to Lubero, 40,000 to Bukavu.
    [Show full text]
  • The Making of Ethnic Territories and Subjects in Eastern DR Congo ⁎ Kasper Hoffmann
    Geoforum xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Geoforum journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/geoforum Ethnogovernmentality: The making of ethnic territories and subjects in Eastern DR Congo ⁎ Kasper Hoffmann University of Copenhagen, Denmark Ghent University, Belgium ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: In this article I investigate colonial constructions of ethnicity and territory and their effects in the post-in- Ethnicity dependence period in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The core argument of the article is that the Governmentality constructions of ethnicity and territory that are set in motion in struggles over political space in the Congolese Territory conflicts are conditioned by what I call “ethnogovernmentality”, which denotes a heterogeneous ensembleof Subjectivity biopolitical and territorial rationalities and practices of power concerned with the conduct of conduct of ethnic Conflict populations. Through ethnogovernmentality colonial authorities sought to impose ordered scientific visions of DR Congo ethnicity, custom, culture, space, territory, and geography, upon ambivalent cultures and spaces. I show that while ethnogovernmentality failed to produce the stability and order the colonial authorities sought, its ethno- territorial regime of truth and practice has had durable effects on people’s sense of self and on struggles over political space. 1. A dotted red line Administrative maps are often objects of intense political struggles, especially in post-colonial context where they have been imposed on During fieldwork in eastern Congo in 2005 I showed a faded copyof ambiguous and highly heterogeneous cultural and political landscapes. a BA thesis submitted at a local university to one of my interlocutors. As the example above indicates issues related to ethnic territories and The title was “Essai d’histoire politique de Batembo” (Essay on the poli- boundaries are highly contentious in the eastern parts of Democratic tical history of the Batembo).
    [Show full text]
  • Democratic Republic of Congo • North Kivu Situation Report No
    Democratic Republic of Congo • North Kivu Situation Report No. 17 11 December 2012 This report is produced by OCHA in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHADRC. It covers the period from 7 to 11 December 2012. The next report will be issued on or around 14 December. I. HIGHLIGHTS/ KEY PRIORITIES Over 900,000 people are currently living as displaced in North Kivu; an estimated 500,000 have been displaced since the FARDC-M23 crisis began in April WFP wraps up food distribution for 160,000 IDPs, more food on the way “Blanket” NFI distributions planned for IDPs living between Goma and Sake Some 250 schools looted or damaged in the Kivus since September IOM to take over coordination of spontaneous sites in and around Goma Humanitarian Coordinator visits Goma to take stock of humanitarian needs and challenges II. Situation Overview The situation in Goma remains calm but tense. M23 fighters, DRC : North Kivu who were to retreat to some 20 km outside of the city, are still maintaining positions close to Goma. The clashes that led to Goma’s take-over and its consequences, such as the break-out Mweso of over 1,000 prisoners and an accrued circulation of weapons, Walikale Rutshuru have created a climate of insecurity that is affecting thousands of Kitchanga NORD KIVU displaced people and delaying the return to normal life. Masisi Masisi Kirolirwe Armed men have on two successive days attacked houses close Kingi Kibumba to the Mugunga III IDP camp. The first attack took place on 9 Mushaki Nyiragongo Sake Kanyaruchinya December, one day after the Humanitarian Coordinator, Kibati Mutambiro Moustapha Soumaré, visited the camp which itself had been 10Km Bweremana RWANDA Presence of displaced persons looted a week earlier.
    [Show full text]
  • Relations Extérieures Et Communication
    Relations extérieures et Communication https://ucbukavu.ac.cd/ – Super Lacus Ac Montes Splendens 02 Bugabo, Avenue de la Mission, Commune de Kadutu, Ville de Bukavu REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO MISE AU POINT SUR LES SITUATIONS UPDATE ON LOCAL HEALTH AND SAFETY SANITAIRE ET SECURITAIRE LOCALES STATUS N°006 – 31 MARS 2020 N°006 – 31 MARCH 2020 SITUATION SECURITAIRE SECURITY STATUS Un homme d’une vingtaine d’années a été A man in his twenties was murdered by armed men assassiné par des hommes en armes sur Avenue on Fariala 2 Avenue, Nyakavogo district in Bagira Fariala 2 au quartier Nyakavogo en Commune de Township. In Walungu Territory, a man was killed Bagira. Un homme a été tué par des hommes by armed men in Izege village. The reasons for this armés à Izege en territoire de Walungu. Les raisons attack have not been clarified. de cette attaque n’ont pas été élucidées. In Kabare Territory, an alleged kidnapper was Un présumé kidnappeur a été brûlé vif après la burned alive after the discovery of three lifeless découverte de trois corps sans vie des bodies of minor children aged 16, 14 and 9 on the enfants mineurs de 16, 14 et 9 ans au bord du lac shore of Lake Kivu in Buhehe village. Kivu dans le village de Buhehe en Territoire de Bullets were heard during the exchange of fire Kabare. between armed bandits and police in Buholo 4 in Des coups de balles ont été entendus lors des échanges de tirs entre bandits armés et policiers à Kadutu Township.
    [Show full text]