RECONSTRUCTING FRAGILITY?
THE POST-CONFLICT STATE IN THE DR CONGO
Johannesburg, August 24-25, 2009
Working languages: English and French
The Pretoria peace agreement of 2002 and the start of the Transition in 2003 ushered a new phase in the political history of the DR Congo. The main achievement of the Transition period was the holding of generally free and fair elections in the course of 2006. For most observers, these elections announced the end of war and the prelude of the DR Congo’s post conflict reconstruction process. Despite some positive developments, three years after the elections, democratization has not led to accountable government in the DRC, but rather reconfirmed existing, war-time power dynamics and governance practices. Limited progress has been made in reforming the security sector and large parts of the east remain under control of non-state armed groups.
These realities point at a number of critical issues in the current approach of the international community to ‘peace building’ and ‘post conflict reconstruction’. This approach tends to be based on the belief that political and economic liberalization are successful antidotes to violent conflict. Elections are at the heart of this one-size-fits-all approach, while normative reconstruction packages focus on democracy, elections, reestablishment of political institutions, political participation, rule of law, good governance and the recovery of the national economy. In the case of DR Congo, the post-conflict reconstruction process, however, is increasingly becoming constitutive of a political regime that reproduces the image of a fragile state. As such the Congolese state sustains a pattern of structural violence and privatized governance by both governmental and non-governmental actors.
The objective of this seminar is to bring researchers, experts and policy-makers together and discuss the nature of the post-conflict Congolese state. Discussions will focus on a number of critical issues, including security governance, management of natural resources, local peace efforts and external interventions.
Programme
Day 1: The process of state building
9.15-9.30 Introduction
9.30-11.00 Panel 1: Evaluating the post-conflict state
Speakers:
Jean Omasombo – Royal Museum for Central Africa/CEP University of Kinshasa
Muzong Kodi – Chatham House
Pierre Englebert – Pomona College
Filip de Boeck – K.U. Leuven
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30Panel 2: Post-conflict and security governance
Speakers:
Henri Boshoff – Institute for Security Studies (ISS)
Thierry Vircoulon – Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI)
Hans Hoebeke – Egmont - Royal Institute for International Relations
12.30-14.00 Lunch
14.00-15.30Panel 3: Management of natural resources (mining and forests)
Speakers:
Nick Garrett – Resource Consulting Services (RCS)/ London Schools of Economics
Eric Kajembe – Observatoire Gouvernance – Bukavu
Filip De BoeckGuillaume Bumba – K.U. Leuven
19.00 Dinner
Day 2: Dealing with dynamics of violence and conflict
9.30-10.45Panel 4: The politics of mobilisation, demobilisation and re-integration
Speakers:
Koen Vlassenroot – Ghent University / Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations
Joost Van Puyenbroeck – IKV/Pax Christi
Onesphore Sematumba – Pole Institute
10.45-11.00 Coffee break
11.00-12.15Panel 5:Promoting local peace
Speakers:
Severine Autesserre – Columbia University
Michel Noureddine Kassa – ILCCE, Kinshasa
Dominic Johnson - TAZ
12.15-14.00 Lunch
14.00-15.15Panel 6: Foreign militias and regional responses
Speakers:
Hans Romkema – Conflict & Transition Consultancies
Mareike Schomerus – London School of Economics
Guillaume Lacaille – International Crisis Group
15.15-15.30 Coffee break
15.30-17.00Panel 7: The role of the international community
Speakers:
Denis Tull – Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
Renier Nijskens – Belgium Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Kenny Pedro – South African Department of Foreign Relations and Cooperation
17.00 Concluding remarks
Koen Vlassenroot – Ghent University / Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations
Jakkie Cilliers – ISS
19.00 Conference Function, Belgium Embassy, Pretoria