The limits to community-based conflict resolution in North-East Congo

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the site of one of the most egregious conflicts in modern times. Fuelled by a violent political economy of mineral and natural resource extraction, the lengthy cycle of violence and intimidation has resulted in the highest death toll in any war since World War II. The shortcomings of internationally sponsored peacebuilding efforts in the region have led to a local turn in the peacebuilding literature where a key role for community groups in local conflict resolution and development is being promoted. Drawing on fieldwork conducted by the author with community groups in Ituri District in northeastern DRC, this article highlights the failure of international and national initiatives to address the underlying causes of the Iturian conflict and goes on to argue that there are limits to what local communities can achieve in this context. The findings demonstrate that the greatest impact of community groups' activities is at individual rather than structural levels and three interrelated reasons are given for this. The article concludes by highlighting four issues for community groups interested in challenging the status quo and effecting longlasting transformative change, moving from conflict containment to conflict transformation.

The ‘local turn’ and notions of conflict and peacebuilding – Reflections on local peace committees in Burundi and eastern DR Congo

“…Such an understanding might discipline local actors into mediating individual disputes only. 92 Yet, fieldwork in eastern DRC and Burundi evidences that 'local' peacebuilders are aware of the importance of structural dimensions and supra-local actors in local conflict. They underscore the need to move beyond mere violence reduction/prevention andwhile being aware of their limitations in terms of expertise and leveragethey pragmatically and creatively try to do so.…”

Conflict resolution in community development: Are the benefits worth the costs?

“…As noted above, the community development literature has not paid sufficient attention to the critiques from legal studies, so it is perhaps unsurprising that there is little empirical work on whether they apply within community development settings. Nevertheless, three studies – by Pawson (2007), Gaynor (2016) and Ramnarain (2014) – do find evidence that the application of conflict resolution within community development can disadvantage vulnerable groups. Pawson’s study looked at the use of conflict resolution by local authorities in England as a means of homelessness prevention.…”

“…Gaynor’s (2016) study of community-based conflict resolution in the Ituri district, north-east Congo, offers us another example of how conflict resolution can disadvantage vulnerable groups. Gaynor conducted a series of interviews and focus groups discussions with local people, development agencies and local authorities to explore the role that community groups played in addressing decades of civil violence and instability.…”

“…In line with the critiques from legal studies, Gaynor found that the conflict resolution initiatives placed significant emphasis on cooperation and on finding solutions, an emphasis that hindered disadvantaged groups in raising grievances. People were encouraged to be reconciled with ‘their world rather than to contest and transform it’(Gaynor, 2016: 277). This, in Gaynor’s view, was further reinforced by a framing of conflict as an individual responsibility, leaving community groups with no opportunity to question more structural causes of conflict, such as mineral extraction and unequal land ownership.…”