UN and DRC forces prepare for war
The clock is ticking down on the launch of a military operation in eastern DRC against a Rwandan-Hutu militia that has refused to surrender and disarm. United Nations troops with MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with the Congolese army (FARDC), have tackled the rebels before, but this operation comes loaded with […]
Learning from past failures: The DRC crisis in perspective
The panel discussion on the historical roots of the present-day Congolese crisis was timed to coincide with the release of the first two French RVI Usalama Project reports. Organised by the Observatoire de l’Afrique and RVI, the discussion was chaired by Koen Vlassenroot and saw talks by Stephen van Damme from Oxfam and Jason Stearns, […]
Congo protests expose weakness of Kabila’s coalition
KINSHASA (Reuters) — Protests that blocked a reform which could have extended Congo President Joseph Kabila’s rule have exposed deep rifts in his ruling coalition and galvanized opposition, increasing the chance of further unrest ahead of elections due next year. Kabila took power in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2001 following the assassination of his […]
Congo Escalates Crackdown on Pro-Democracy Activists
KAMPALA, Uganda—Congolese government security agents arecracking down on pro-democracy activists and sympathetic U.S. diplomats, raising concerns about the intentions of President Joseph Kabila who is due to relinquish control of a country with a history of heavy-handed rule. Dozens of protesters gathered this week outside the headquarters of the National Intelligence Agency in the Democratic […]
M23 and the Challenges to Peace in the Eastern DRC
The capture of Goma by the M23 rebel group marks an alarming escalation in the crisis facing the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Confusion over the nature and agenda of the rebel group, as well as other regional actors, makes analysis – let alone policy responses – difficult. This roundtable sought to help clarify […]
Top Picks: The Arab Spring, arms to Yemen and why Myanmar wins
LONDON, 18 December 2015 (IRIN) – Welcome to IRIN’s reading list. Every week our global network of specialist correspondents share their top picks of recent must-read research, podcasts, reports, blogs and in-depth articles to help you keep on top of global crises. We also highlight key upcoming conferences, book releases and policy debates. … Untangling […]
Recrutement des miliciens en période pré-électorale : le cas des Raïa Mutomboki à Bunyakiri
In the course of 2015, recruitment for certain factions of the Raia Mutomboki armed group intensified in the area of Bunyakiri, located in Kalehe territory in the province of South Kivu (Democratic Republic of the Congo). In this blog, Lebon Mulimbi suggests that the reasons for this recent upsurge in recruitment are primarily to be […]
The Making of Conflict in the Eastern Congo: Trouble in the Ruzizi Plain
Foyer de conflits et d’activités de groupes armés, la Plaine de la Ruzizi, dans la province du Sud Kivu, connait de fortes tensions entre leaders Bafuliiru et Barundi, surtout après l’assassinat du Mwami (chef coutumier) de la communauté Barundi en 2012. Lors d’une visite à Luberizi en avril 2014, Judith Verweijen se pencha sur un […]
Un chef coutumier abattu : des spéculations à la crise sociopolitique en groupement de Kalonge, territoire de Kalehe
On 10 May 2013, Teso Ntarubibi, the village chief of Chifunzi, located in Kalonge groupement (in Kalehe territory, South Kivu province) was assassinated. The murder plunged Kalonge into a severe crisis and promoted the mobilization of armed groups, yet those who killed the mwami remain unidentified. In this blog, Emery Mudinga analyses four hypotheses concerning the assassination […]
Les FDLR dans le sud du Sud Kivu après l’opération Sokola II
In January 2015, the Congolese army launched the Sokola II operations against the Rwandan rebel group FDLR. In this blog, Juvénal Twaibu discusses the effects of these operations in the southern part of South Kivu—Fizi, Uvira and Mwenga territories. Sustaining limited casualties, the FDLR dispersed into the Hauts Plateaux mountains and Itombwe forest. Although destabilized, the […]