This Usalama Project report describes the origins, rapid evolution, expansion and activities of this diverse force. The group began as a local response to rampant insecurity but profited from flaws in the various peace deals in the eastern DRC,…
RVI publishes books, research reports, research papers, briefings and meeting reports in a range of formats. Publications cover policy, research, arts, culture and local knowledge in the countries of eastern and central Africa. Research publications—books, reports and papers—are peer-reviewed. Some RVI publications are also available in French and/or Arabic.
The RVI is a signatory of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (2001); all publications are free for download in PDF format under Creative Commons licences. The views expressed in books and reports published by the RVI are those of the authors, not the Institute.
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This report by Henning Tamm examines the convergence of factors that helped create and then broke apart the Union des patriotes congolais (UPC, Union of Congolese Patriots), one of Ituri’s most powerful armed groups. Created in the context of Ugandan occupation,…
This Usalama report by Dan Fahey sets out the background to the years of conflict in Ituri district of the north-eastern DRC. The particularly vicious nature of war in Ituri––including large-scale massacres, widespread sexual violence, and the use of…
This Usalama Project report explores the 2012-2013 M23 rebellion in the eastern DRC. It also discusses the implications of the rebellion for the DRC’s eastern neighbours, Rwanda and Uganda, who have been accused of aiding and abetting the M23. ‘Despite…
Ce rapport Usalama par Koen Vlassenroot décrit la dynamique historique à l’origine des mouvements armés au Sud-Kivu, en mettant plus précisément l’accent sur la période située avant la Première Guerre du Congo. La province du Sud-Kivu se trouve au…

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Ce rapport du Projet Usalama examine les Maï-Maï de William Amuri Yakutumba, un groupe qui, initialement, ont été démobilisé après la Deuxième Guerre du Congo (1998-2003). Cependant, après avoir peiné de trouver d’autres moyens de subsistance, ils ont remobilisé,…
Ce rapport Usalama par Jason Stearns et al. examine les Banyamulenge, une communauté Tutsi vivant dans l’est de la RDC qui s’est trouvée au coeur des multiples conflits qui sévissent de manière intermittente dans l’est de la RDC depuis…
Ce rapport du Projet Usalama explore les racines de la plus récente rébellion dans l’est de la RDC. Il discute aussi les implications de la rébellion sur les voisins à l’est de la RDC, le Rwanda et l’Ouganda, qui…
Ce rapport du Projet Usalama résume le contexte historique de la profusion des groupes armés qui ont surgit dans les deux dernières décennies dans la province du Nord-Kivu en RDC. Le rapport sert à démystifier les nombreux factions armées…
Ce rapport du Projet Usalama traite des origines et activités de la PARECO, la Coalition des patriotes congolais résistants, une faction qui a surgit de griefs locales au sujet de questions foncières, devenait puissant comme réponse au CNDP et qui…
Recent Publications

Minor Demarcations, Micro-Dams—Major Drama? Ethno-territorial expansionism and precarious peace in the Oromia–Somali borderlands of eastern Ethiopia
May 20, 2025
The report highlights the overlapping claims to and distributive struggles over territory and resources in the Oromia-Somali borderlands which animated inter-regional competition between the Oromia Regional State (ORS) and Somali Regional State (SRS), resulted in the brief 2023 uptick in

When Women Sing: How Murle women use arts and cultural mediums to communicate
May 16, 2025
This research explores how Murle women in the Greater Pibor area of central eastern South Sudan use not just songs but dance, hairstyles, body marks and beads to express themselves. Its objective is to draw attention to the ways Murle
Effectiveness of Women in Politics and Improving Gender Equality in South Sudan
May 2, 2025
This report argues that, in order to improve women’s participation in politics and promote gender-responsive policies in the country, there is a need to enlarge government capacity for women’s leadership by introducing equal gender quotas for decision-making positions. Summary Women’s