This project seeks to inform policy about security conditions and opportunities for programming through independent, regular and field-driven analysis in areas and topics of concern in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The first phase of the research project confirmed that there continues to be a disconnect between the existing international conflict response toolkit and the complexity of violent conflict on the ground, and this despite over 20 years of internationally supported peace and stabilisation efforts in the DRC. The first phase of the project recognized that the struggles for power over people, territory, and resources in the DRC take place at different scales (local, national, regional, international) and cut across diverse social and political networks. They often turn violent, and their outcomes are in most cases unpredictable, making insecurity and uncertainty central characteristics of eastern Congo’s landscape. Consequently, one-size-fits-all approaches to conflict resolution and management are unlikely to work in all situations, nor can these be effective if not supported by a thorough analysis of the conflict setting or field of programming. This project aims to build a bridge between research and practice on conflict and stabilisation efforts in the eastern DRC through empirically grounded research and the promotion of Congolese scholarship.
- Funding: GIZ
- Time: September 2022-October 2024
- People involved: Koen Vlassenroot, Alice Gregoire