MASTERS IN DEFENCE AND STRATEGIC STUDIES SUBJECT : POL 718 – RESEARCH ESSAY TITTLE : PROSPECTS FOR PEACE IN THE DRC: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES NAME : GABARATE WADIPEBA ID NO : 9120915 SUPERVISOR : PROF B. TSIE DECLARATION I declare that this essay is my original work. The contents have never been presented for any qualification anywhere else. ……………………………… ………………………… Signature Date i DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this research essay to my wife and children. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor Prof B. Tsie who provided insight and expertise that greatly assisted me in the research. His commitment to the research has made it possible to produce an extensive and enlightening piece of work that can be useful in D.R.C. and for conflict management in general. This research paper was also made possible by the University of Botswana and Defence Command and Staff College as they imparted invaluable knowledge in the field of war and conflict as part of the Master‟s degree program. Finally, I would like to thank my family for providing the necessary moral support to produce this research paper. iii ABSTRACT The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a long history of conflict. It has endured a lengthy, difficult and brutal episode in its history since independence in 1960. The country has been engulfed by civil war, especially in the East. A series of peace agreements have been put in place but to no avail even when supported by the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU). Bringing durable peace to the country has proven problematical and highly daunting. Several peace agreements have been signed; these include the Lusaka Peace Accord, the Inter-Congolese Dialogue (ICD) of 2001, under the facilitation of Sir Ketumile Masire, the former President of Botswana, the Sun City Agreement and the Nairobi Peace Agreement. The study seeks to explore the prospects of peace in DRC; the opportunities that have arisen as a result of the changing environment and positive developments in the Great Lakes Region. The aim of this research essay is to consider the various challenges that peace initiatives are faced with and how they affect peace prospects in DRC. These challenges continue to severely undermine the DRC‟s successful transition to peace, which has been constantly threatened with a possible return to full-scale war. The study, therefore intends to better understand the drivers and major players in the conflict and thereby come up with what is essential to end continuous violence. iv ABBREVIATIONS AFDL -Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo (Alliance des forces démocratiques pour la libération du Congo) AMISOM - African Union Mission In Somalis Banyamulenge - The ethnic Tutsi or the Tutsi Congolese concentrated in South Kivu, eastern region of the DRC along Rwanda - DRC - Burundi border. CAR - Central African Republic ECGLC - Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries CIJP - The Inheritors of Justice or the Congolese Initiative for Justice and Peace Congolese - Citizens of DRC COJESKI - Collective of Organisations for Youth and Solidarity in Congo Kinshasa CSO - Civil Society Organisations DRC - Democratic Republic of Congo DDR - Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration DDRR - Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reintegration, Repatriation and Resettlement FARDC - Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (Government Forces) FAZ - Zairean Armed Forces FDLR - Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda) ICD - Inter Congolese Dialogue v IDPs - Internally displaced persons ICGLR - International Conference of the Great Lakes Region Intervention - It‟s a deliberate act by nations or organisations to introduce change where there is an existing controversy. It‟s intended to make them aware of their self-destructiveness. LRA - Lord‟s Resistance Army MLC - Mouvement de Liberation Congolais MONUSCO - United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo M23 - Movement of 23rd March (Mouvement du 23 mars) PARECO - Coalition of Congolese Patriotic Resistance PSO - Peace Support Operations R2P - Responsibility to Protect RCD - Congolese Rally for Democracy RCD-Goma - Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie- Goma (Congolese Rally for Democracy –Goma) RCD-ML - Congolese Rally for Democracy-Liberation Movement UNITA - National Union for the Total Independence of Angola VUCA - Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................... i DEDICATION .................................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................................ iii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 History of Armed Conflict in DRC ................................................................................... 1 1.2 Roots of the conflict in the DRC ..................................................................................... 2 1.3 Background of the Study ................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................... 6 1.5 Purpose of the Study...................................................................................................... 7 1.6 Significance and Justification of the Study .................................................................... 7 1.7 Objectives of the Study ................................................................................................... 8 1.8 Scope and Limitations of the Study ............................................................................... 8 1.9 Organisation of the Study ............................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 10 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 What is Peace? Different Conceptions of Peace ........................................................ 10 2.3 Conceptualising peace .................................................................................................. 11 2.4 Conflict Prevention and International Peace ............................................................... 12 2.5 The Role of Civil Society in Achieving Peace in DRC ................................................ 14 2.6 Regional Challenges and Opportunities for Peace – No Peace, No War in DRC. .. 17 2.7 No war, no peace in DRC ............................................................................................. 20 2.8 Sub regional (SADC) Challenges and Opportunities to peace .................................. 20 2.9 Challenges of the Great Lakes Region........................................................................ 23 2.10 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................................ 25 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Types of Research ........................................................................................................ 25 3.3 Types of Research methodology ................................................................................. 25 vii 3.3.1 Quantitative Methodology ...................................................................................... 25 3.3.2 Qualitative Methodology ........................................................................................ 25 3.4 Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 27 3.4.1 Internal Desk Research ......................................................................................... 27 3.4.2 External Desk Research ........................................................................................ 27 3.5 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 28 3.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 4: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS .......................................................... 29 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 29 4.2 Effects of the war on the