On 13 March 2013, RVI published French editions of the Usalama Project’s latest reports on armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). L’UPC en Ituri: la militarisation externe de la politique locale dans le nord-est du…
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If recent events in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo seem familiar, it is because in many ways they are. History is repeating itself – as it tends to in places where deep-seated problems are left to fester. The…
Un nuevo grupo rebelde – M23 – han sacudido Congo, al gobierno congoleño, los países vecinos y la comunidad internacional. Ahora amenaza con dirigirse hacia la capital del país, Kinshasa. Más de 500.000 personas se han visto desplazadas en…
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s M23 rebel group said it’s preparing to withdraw from Goma, a day after saying any pull-out would be conditional on President Joseph Kabila’s government meeting a series of demands. The renegade fighters plan to…
Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo kept a firm grip on Wednesday over towns captured from government forces, despite a pledge to respect a deal brokered by Uganda and withdraw. World powers and regional neighbors are scrambling to…
Televised comments made by Amb. Susan Rice shortly after the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi have dominated the debate over her probable nomination for secretary of state. This is a bit surprising, since it's clear that she…
Que veut le M23? Pourquoi Kinshasa semble impuissant militairement? Comment le Président Kabila peut-il sauver son régime face a la fronde de l'opinion congolaise? Tentatives de réponse avec Erik Nyindu et ses invités. (RVI translation:) Vice Versa: Is the…
The withdrawal of armed fighters who have swept through the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in a matter of months is unlikely to mean an end to the perpetual conflict, analysts say. “I’m sceptical about…
On 17 April 2013, Oxford Transitional Justice Research launched an online debate on the role of the UN Group of Experts (GoE) on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Opening arguments were made by RVI Usalama Project Director Jason Stearns (in support…
When Congo's government army retreated in panic from the eastern city of Goma last month, many observers blamed the poor morale and leadership, ill discipline and corruption that have sapped its fighting capacity for years. In the hours before…
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Thinking about Borderlands: Observations and implications from XCEPT programme research
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Do the ways in which policymakers and national governments view borderlands reflect how the communities living there experience them? Building on this, can a better understanding of the characteristics of borderlands help in promoting development, improving governance and making more

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While digital finance—including mobile money—has developed unevenly across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, such technologies are nevertheless transforming everyday economic activities. In some cases, borderlands and cross-border financial flows are central to these digital developments and are driving further innovation. From

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In the Mandera triangle—a pastoralist region encompassing the point at which the borders of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia meet—the reality of local and cross-border trade often diverges widely from official state policies of control. This disjunction has created a grey