Dangerous tales: Dominant narratives on the Congo and their unintended consequences

Abstract

Explanations for the persistence of violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo blame the incendiary actions of domestic and regional leaders, as well as the inefficacy of international peacebuilding efforts. Based on several years of ethnographic research, this article adds another piece to the puzzle, emphasizing the perverse consequences of well-meaning international efforts. I argue that three narratives dominate the public discourse on Congo and eclipse the numerous alternative framings of the situation. These narratives focus on a primary cause of violence, illegal exploitation of mineral resources; a main consequence, sexual abuse of women and girls; and a central solution, extending state authority. I elucidate why simple narratives are necessary for policy makers, journalists, advocacy groups, and practitioners on the ground, especially those involved in the Congo. I then consider each narrative in turn and explain how they achieved prominence: they provided straightforward explanations for the violence, suggested feasible solutions to it, and resonated with foreign audiences. I demonstrate that the focus on these narratives and on the solutions they recommended has led to results that clash with their intended purposes, notably an increase in human rights violations. LIFE CONDITIONS IN THE EASTERN PART of the Democratic Republic of Congo have deteriorated significantly since the end of the transition to peace and democracy in late 2006. Each year, the people of the eastern

Everyday Resistance, Peacebuilding and State-making : Insights from 'Africa's World War'

“…Unresolved historical cleavages around land and power distribution, both of which are linked to identity and belonging, create the basis for political mobilisation through violence (Autesserre 2010(Autesserre , 2012aBøås 2012;Fahey 2010Fahey , 2011. The international peacebuilding response has prioritised international actors' interests and agendas, compromising core peacebuilding and stabilisation goals, leaving the local sources of conflict unaddressed.…”

“…The international peacebuilding response has prioritised international actors' interests and agendas, compromising core peacebuilding and stabilisation goals, leaving the local sources of conflict unaddressed. It has also taken a complacent approach to Congolese and regional actors, who have ignored or even manipulated international participants to pursue their own interests while continuing to receive international funding (Autesserre 2012a;Trefon 2011;Vlassenroot and Raeymaekers 2009). Although these analyses have offered nuanced explanations of the micro-dynamics of conflict and point out important trends in security and peacebuilding policies in the DRC, the way that some of them have detached conflicts from their regional and international contexts risks reproducing a depoliticising and pathological account of the conflict.…”

Regulatory Theory

“…Consequently, those who use them need to have at least sufficient knowledge of local actors, conflicts and potential allies and opponents; otherwise, these strategies fire back and fuel conflict and violence (Autesserre 2012). They can be used by a broad range of actors regardless of whether their task is protection of victims or prosecution of perpetrators: local authorities who try to build up resistance and defence against atrocity crimes, national law enforcement and enforcement of international criminal law.…”

Stadium Coltan : artisanal mining, reforms and social change in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

“…In 2014, 13 reform initiatives-10 focusing on 3T 2 and the three on gold-were operational in eastern DRC (Cuvelier et al, 2014: 5). These initiatives aim to make the Congolese artisanal mining sector more transparent and to prevent conflict minerals, that is, minerals thought to feed violence, conflicts and the involvement of armed actors in the mining business (Autesserre, 2012;De Koning, 2012), from entering the international market Verbruggen et al, 2011). Among these initiatives is the ITRI Tin Supply Chain Initiative metaphor?…”

“…Although minerals often appear to be central in these conflicts, they are not themselves the cause of the conflicts (Autesserre, 2012). Many of the conflicts stem from unresolved historical tensions pitting communities against each other over territory, authority or resources, combined with the governance weaknesses of the Congolese state (Vlassenroot et al, 2016 28 , it has been reported that more than 70 armed groups continue to operate in eastern DRC (Verweijen and Wakenge, 2015;Stearns and Vogel, 2015).…”