LPI - Innovative and Holistic Peacebuilding in Eastern DRC

Year 3 of implementation of this LPI program intitled Innovative and Holistic Peacebuilding in Eastern DRC has seen many constraints from security mainly through the M23 war in North Kivu. This meant that the difficulties of working in North Kivu persisted to the point of cancelling field actions (i.e. pillars 1 and 2 this made consequently suspended actions with implementing partners) but only the activities connected to political engagement and coordination of peacebuilding actors. As for the actions carried out, the following should be noted: - For Pillar 1 : Community address the root causes of conflict: ommunity conflict actors work together to identify and implement new holistic responses that address the root causes of conflict. For the first three quarters of 2023, the program contributed to three successful processes: Implementation (acceleration) of action plans for community peace structures ; revitalization and capacity-building of consultative commissions for the resolution of customary conflicts (CCRCC). In South Kivu, from the beginning of the second quarter, LPI and its partners worked closely with the Ministry of the Interior through the Customary Affairs Provincial Division to revitalise the consultative commissions for the resolution of customary conflicts (CCRCC).; Securing the land rights of marginalized people (women, young people and indigenous peoples). In order to have an in-depth understanding of the conflict dynamics, LPI commissioned a research study on the interactions between armed groups and socio-political, economic and security players around the exploitation of natural resources in the Bafuliru and Bavira chiefdoms. This dynamic was influenced by the expatriation of conflicts from neighboring countries to create a question of identity in DRC. The arrival of armed groups opposed to the Burundian regime from 1993 to 2015 and the Rwandan regime from 1972 to 1994 contributed to the continuing deterioration of the security situation. The latest case dates back to 2015 in the territory of Uvira and Fizi, linked to the failed coup d'état by Burundian soldier Godefroid Niyombare against the Bujumbura regime. His men fled Burundi and joined other armed groups in Uvira territory. Their arrival contributed to a reconfiguration of alliances between armed actors. The study was carried out by a team of three consultants associated with Groupe d'Etude sur le Congo - Sécurité Humaine (GEC-SH), in collaboration with LPI, using a mixed methodological approach. A number of recommendations emerged to help focus certain advocacy issues and support reform initiatives (security, justice, land tenure, social cohesion, etc.). After several community consultation and mediation processes facilitated by community peace structures, 172 households, including 67 indigenous people and 72 women and young people, obtained (access to) and secured their land, several cows stolen from communities were returned to their owners thanks to advocacy. - For Pillar 2 on gender and inclusion: this programme contributed to three change processes linked to the role of women and youth in conflict transformation processes at local level: Integration of women and young people into inter-community conflict resolution committees (comité de sage in the Moyen and Haut Plateaux of Uvira); Consolidation of the role and place of women and young people in the steering committees of peace structures. For examples, six young people have been helped to start their own businesses in Kigoma, providing them with the means to become agents of change and meet their personal needs in a context of limited opportunities and high security fragility linked to armed groups, and enabling them to contribute constructively to community life. In Kigoma and Mboko, women have been grouped together in various self-help groups (vsla), with an emphasis on inter-community cohesion in the area (Bafuliru, Banyamulenge, Babembe and Bavira), and were trained to develop income-generating activities, sale of cow's milk, cassava flour, manufactured products. - For pillar 3 concerning political commitment : The aperationalization of the Nindja chiefdom and Tanganyika sector CCRCCs (revitalization, training, coaching); Improvement of working conditions for specialized government departments (P-DDRCS, Technical Divisions/Rehabilitation of offices and provision of equipment and supplies); LPI also provided technical and financial support to the South Kivu P-DDRCS coordination team in the preparation, facilitation and pre-validation of the provincial operational plan. At its request, we provided the coordination team with IT equipment (four computers and a multifunction printer). Integration of the community dimension (for and with the community) into the national P-DDRCS strategy; engaging in drafting process of the provincial operational plan (POP) in South Kivu and North Kivu provinces. - For Pillar 4 on Coordination and collaboration of actors : Since the first three quarters of 2023, the program's commitment to collaboration and coordination has resulted in the actual operationalization of the Peacebuilding Community of Practice (CPP) through the implementation of over 90% of the actions/activities in the action plan defined collaboratively for 2023. Expansion of the Peacebuilding Community of Practice (CPP) from a group of 5 international NGOs to over 53 organizations, including national NGOs and donors such as GIZ, fostering better information exchange and systematic coordination of advocacy activities between its members. The work involved defining and harmonizing operational standards, drafting advocacy notes and launching collaborative research (study). LPI continued to disseminate the conclusions of the collaborative learning process from the 10-year evaluation of peacebuilding interventions. LPI also initiated discussions with representatives of the World Bank to identify opportunities for engagement between the bank and Congolese civil society in South Kivu. LPI facilitated networking and advocacy efforts that provided regional and international actors with insights into the conflict dynamics in eastern DRC. These efforts emphasised the importance of engaging conflict-affected communities and civil society in conflict resolution processes. LPI participated in several meetings with MONUSCOs Stabilization Support Unit (SSU) and the Integrated Office of the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC) in Goma and Kinshasa.

The overall objective of this programme is to develop participatory and innovative approaches to address some of the root causes of conflict to contribute to peace and stability in Eastern DRC (North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema). The geographical focus is in North and South Kivu provinces. The most problematic territories (except Beni) in the two key provinces will be targeted although in practice some territories will see more activities than others (Rutshuru, Masisi, Walikale, for example for North Kivu, and Fizi, Uvira, Kalehe, Mwenga in South Kivu. LPI has partners in these territories. In Maniema,  only run a situation analysis will be conducted. LPI’s three organisational strategic priorities are:– 1. Civil society support and inclusive engagement for peace; 2. Policy Engagement and Awareness-Raising; and 3. Knowledge and Learning to enhance practice – will function as an overarching framework for programming. Changes in four outcome areas are needed to promote the overall objective:Outcome 1: Community-level conflict actors work together to design and implement new holistic conflict transformation strategies that address the root causes of conflict.Outcome 2: Women and young people participate in and influence stabilisation and peacebuilding processes and become recognised as actors of social change.Outcome 3: Political, security, judicial and other leaders at local, provincial, national, regional and international levels, supported by LPI and partners, take actions to create an environment more conducive to peace in the DRC and the Great Lakes region.Outcome 4: Increased individual and collective capacity of civil society actors and community peace structures to promote more transformative peacebuilding.