Contacts :

Tharcisse KAYIRA
Coordinateur
Tl : +243993090958
E-mail :
adepaecoord@gmail.com,kathabisenga@yahoo.fr,sunzu.adepae@yahoo.fr
www.adepae.orgfree.com
Case Study Community in the transformation of conflicts in South
Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo

1.1. Provide a brief historical context about the

causes

1).

of

current

instability/violence

in

the

country

Contex
t:

For over three decades, DRC is going through a crisis

Backgr

situation which is explained by the multiple wars that

ound

plunged the country into chaotic situation that contribute to

the destruction of the social and economic layers of
communities.

The

characterized

by

introduction

of

regime

of

dictatorship,

democracy

has

Marshal

Mobutu

regionalism
led

to

and

was
the

uncoordinated

multiparty system. Desire Kabila Laurent enjoying across

Rwanda to face the dictatorial regime, which led to the fall
of Marshal Mobutu in 1997. After three years at the head of
the country, Mr. Dsir Laurent Kabila died and the country
was

divided

between

the

protagonists

of

whom

the

Rassemblement Congolais pour le Dveloppement (RCD)

occupied the eastern part and had headquarters in Goma.
During this period, the entire Congo was unstable and there
were born thousands of small armed groups whose reasons
are the race for power because everyone wanted to conquer
and to rule the roost, kill, raping and robbing without mercy.
At that aggressive culture and the jungle, there was
development of tribal self-defense in every corner in terms
of political power.
To solve this crisis which seemed to be widespread
throughout the country , there was a government of 1 + 4
was formed, that is to say , a President and four VicePresidents from strong political trends. In this context of
widespread insecurity in eastern DRC , especially the rural
population took some exile in Tanzania, Burundi , Rwanda ,
Uganda and Kenya where they live up to these days
Tribal communities in the city of Bukavu and Uvira,
territories of Fizi and Mwenga were more active in these
struggles and thousands of people have perished, torched

villages and properties were poured. This climate of mistrust

and suspicion between tribal communities harmonious
coexistence undermined any effort between communities,
the recovery of life and any momentum of socio-economic
development after the horrors of war. Thus was born
ADEPAEs vision to contribute so slightly, to the restoration
of a climate of peace, peaceful coexistence among tribal
communities, and reconstruction of the province of South
Kivu, and DR. Congo, usually to see the Congolese
community live in harmony and in perfect cohesion, where
the rights and duties of citizens are respected. The mission
was to accompany the people in conflict transformation and
the promotion of good governance in order to contribute to
building a lasting peace in the east of DR. Congo.
1.2.History or conditions influencing the situation
1.2.1. Regime of absolute monarchy
The Mobutu regime with the Popular Movement of the
Revolution,

one-party

Share

State

dictatorship,

mismanagement

of

governance,

brake

freedoms,

individual

influenced

public

the

affairs,

bad

injustice

and

inequality, making the poorest country despite the potential

recognized toit. At that absolute monarchy was formed
opponents of any side and Mobutu's reign was characterized
by conflict and power struggles. Among the opponents of
the Mobutu regime in eastern face of former President
Kabila, Zabuloni and Ndalo. In 1997, LD Kabila's AFDL
political and military movement with the support of Rwanda
walked on the Mobutu regime to gain power.
The RCD is in opposition to the AFR, the CNDP, M23 and

foreign militias like the FDLR and NRT. These armed

movements have contributed to the distribution of light
armed

with

the

population

and

armed

groups

have

proliferated like mushrooms.

To end an armed group that seems to be strong, rewarded
to the warlord

giving it a strategic position in the

government. Each armed group is a self-defense tribal

movement by contributing to the destabilization of the
members of neighboring communities.
1.2.2. Poor governance
Under the Mobutu regime and the successors, the country
has not had a chance to have leaders capable of promoting
administration and democracy in order to make the
governed country. The country is too vast with 2345000
square kilometers, Kinshasa centralized all the power. In all
sectors of life, human development indices show that living
conditions are below the threshold of poverty. At the local
level, for example, the basic entities are mostly people of
third age and few literate. They have not had the chance to
be

strengthened

in

administration,

working

without

planning, without a budget, without tools or even office

supplies, weddings, births and deaths are not recorded.
Injustice and gender inequality, rape and human rights
violations are commonplace, administration parallelism are
all difficulties related to the inability of leaders

Case

study:

Conflicts

between

communities

on

transhumance

2). Current

context Findings
In Fizi and Uvira live the identified populations based on
:
concer

their occupations, some of which are said farmers and other

ns and breeders. These two communities live in permanent conflict

for over a century. In 2007, with organizations ADEPAE Life
issues
and Peace Institute funding partners minnow research on
the root causes of conflict between these communities. The
results of this research have identified three driving factors
are:
property and administrative disputes,
community support to armed groups
Local governance.
In the first phase, the priority was to regulate tensions
between pastoralists to farmers during the period of
transhumance. Evolving in a logical change theory that "if
communities

are

involved

in

conflicts

upstream

and

downstream in the search for peace, then, communities of

Fizi and Uvira will combine all efforts for a lasting peaceful
coexistence ". a community dialogue (DIC) was convened
between the four major tribal communities to reflect on the
strategies to be implemented to ease tensions. Among
these

strategies,

Collaborative

it

was

Frameworks,

the

establishment

"ICC",

of

framework

inter
for

exchanges between communities and with a mandate to

lead the actions of transformation of conflicts within and
between areas in their community.

3.1. The role of the mediator

Mediation is a strategy bringing people in conflict through

3).
Strateg

meetings and exchange sets to find solutions to disputes. Its

ies

role is to assist the parties in identifying their needs and

interests and generate options.
5 ADEPAE accompanies mediation structures, namely: The
CCI1 , CM2 , CN3 , the ADDF4 and agro pastoral cooperatives
for Peace. Each local organization has its strategies for a
specific class whose purpose is to contribute to intercommunity reconciliation.
3.2.The approaches that they have used
To understand the problem, the approach-Participatory
Action Research (PAR) was used and is still used for the
implementation of projects within ADEPAE. This approach
allowed the actors to identify problems that threaten the
coexistence of communities and allows them to reflect on
the ways out of crisis. But this approach is based on
different techniques such as conflict analysis, research,
development of the research report, presentation of the
results to the parties in conflict for validation of the report,
organizing

an

inter-community

dialogue

for

the

development of a roadmap in which the strategies are

defined. In the case mentioned above, this approach has
targeted local actors (who remain in the study areas), the
offshore players (who come from but, for various reasons lie
elsewhere; missions are organized for meet to deeply
understand the major issues) and neutral or tertiary parties.
3.3.Key challenges that emerged
1

CCI: Intercommunity dialogue framework for the mediation of inter

community conflict
2

CM : Joint committees of farmers, ranchers and traditional leaders

for mediation
3

CN : Negotiators Committee for the voluntary withdrawal of armed

groups
4

ADDF : Advocacy group for the rights of women and girls

To turn the same table the actors in the conflict to

mediation, ADEPAE resorted to DIC. The country's politics ,
actors and other stakeholders, the communities were the
main challenges encountered during the mediation.
3.4.The decisions taken to address challenges
Since it is the communities that lead the actions of conflict
transformation,

the

ICC

have

overcome

these

few

challenges. At the policy level, the actors are exploiting

communities, young people for purely private purposes and
for political actors is a springboard to achieve their goals. To
do this, IAB members at the provincial level, conduct
advocacy to deter these actors to positively accompany the
process towards peace and peaceful coexistence. But they
prove that it is difficult to actors and communities out of
their skin, that is why sessions empowerment in conflict
transformation technique are organized by ADEPAE with
emphasis on the role and the qualities of a mediator. Today
in zones of conflict, it's the players who were considered
leaders of men currently artisans of peace between
communities. In the end, as each community had its own
militia, raising awareness for disengagement communities
were made and an increasing number of armed groups are
starting to join the reporting process. In short, all actors are
involved and contact with communities to contribute to
peace and mediation of conflicts between them.

4.1. Possible solutions

R1.Les CCI CM CN and ADDF are reference frameworks of

4).
Outco

communities in the management and transformation of

mes

conflicts in territories of Uvira, Fizi and Mwenga;

R2.Plus 50000 Breeders involved in the preparation of
transhumance and the implementation of agreements on
management of transhumance soothed signed between
farmers, pastoralists and traditional leaders
R3.Plus national armed groups operating in the territories
of Fizi, Uvira and Mwenga went voluntarily since 2010.
R4.Rduction 70% of cases of killing of shepherds, looting of
cattle and conflicts related to the destruction of the wicked
fields in areas of transhumance Fizi.
R5.Les communities say farmers are involved in agro
become herders, three cooperatives are initiated in farms
and agricultural plantations,
R6.Les signs attached near roads, kraals and watering
places allow securing crossing slopes and respect for
agreements, which affects the reduction of conflicts straying
cows to 60%.
R7.Plusieurs searches : 1. Beyond the armed groups, 2.
Voice of exile , 3 the resistance to the return of Congolese
and Burundian refugees , 4. Search on conflicts and their
impact on community development in the territories of
Kalehe , Walungu , Uvira , Fizi and Mwenga .
R8. Local structures and operational setting places for
Peace: CCI 3 , 10 CM , 2CN , ADDF 3 , 4 Cooperatives agro
pastoral peace ,
R9. Awareness through media, distribution and extension
agreements

on

the

transhumance

and

other

legal

instruments such as the Convention of Kampala and the

Great Lakes Protocol, the Family Code, the nomenclature of
taxes, flyers on the land law affect the peaceful cohabitation
of peoples, etc.
4.2.Accomplishments
Our projects:

1. Children Education Project to the culture of peace and

citizenship in the city of Bukavu where more than 22,500
school children are not beneficiaries of funding from UNICEF.
2. Peace beyond the border. This project is under ADEPAE
regional and implements it in the provinces of North and
South Kivu in support of 15 peacemakers on financing
Oxfam Novib
3. Prevention and transformation of conflicts between
Community farmers to farmers in Fizi, Uvira and Mwenga. It
supports farmers and breeders in the organization to turn
common interests with the financial support of CORDAID.
4.

Draft

Community

capacity

building

in

conflict

management and peace building in the east of the DRC, Fizi

and Uvira. It supports more than 50,000 herders in
managing transhumance financing Life and Peace Institute,
5. Support Project Response Activities to problems related to
the repatriation of refugees in Uvira territory. He researched
and multiples actions related to the refugees and IDPs on
finacement Danish Council for Refugees (DRC), etc.
4.3.Lessons learned
Involve the community at the base is an asset that can lead
to the success of the mediation process until the restoration
of a climate of peace and dialogue between the protagonists
communities , because they are the ones who really know
their problems and may be able to reflect on the slopes
solutions. The effect of working in synergy in seeking
solutions seem most important to have a similar view on the
challenges of recurrent conflicts in conflict zones
4.4. Some pictures

Young mixed tribes together farmers

Signs for the securisation and

protection of cows passages ,
the kraals and drinking trough
for cows

Workshop on eduction for

Peace and citizenship of young
transhumance soothed
people enrolled in school at
Ibanda commune/ Bukavu

Done at Bukavu, August 25, 2015

Sunzu Manasseh Ntaganzwa
Programme Officer