The provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu in Eastern DR Congo face recurring cycles of conflict and insecurity. Civilians and communities bear the brunt of this violence in the midst of  conflict dynamics that are complex, varying considerably between these provinces and their territories. President Tshisekedi declared a state of siege in 2021 to "eradicate" non-state armed groups and conflict in these provinces. Two and a half years in he remains under pressure to demonstrate improved security,¹ particularly in the context of the planned exit of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) by December 2024.²

Through the Tuishi Amani project,³ supported by the People's Postcode Lottery (PPL), CRC has worked with communities in three territories in Ituri and North Kivu, since April 2021. This ongoing project aims to strengthen community links in these territories as a means to resolving conflicts peacefully and thereby reducing violence in Ituri and North Kivu.

In Ituri, CRC supported inter-community dialogues, bringing together a cross-section of stakeholders including sector and chiefdom chiefs, public figures, group leaders and representatives of local civil society, young people, women, and local authorities.

294 people participated in 60 training sessions on conflict transformation and dialogue and six sessions on techniques for collecting, analysing, documenting, and reporting security incidents, as part of the implementation and effective operationalisation of early warning and early response systems. An additional workshop on conflict transformation was held for 86 influential leaders who were selected by community members. It focused on conflict analysis, negation, transformation and helping conflicting parties find common ground.

CRC developed 144 radio programmes, as part of which 54 people participated in training to create and sustain a culture of peace. Key themes addressed included conflict prevention and management, gender, social cohesion, prospects for peace and development, addressing rumours, young people’s roles in peaceful cohabitation, and children's rights. These activities were conducted in local languages.

In North Kivu, CRC coordinated and supported two local peace structures – committees of community members that manage conflict mediation and transformation in their communities, and which also coordinate early warning systems to respond to indicators of violence.

160 community members participated in 2 public forums that CRC organised to strengthen civil-military and civil-police relations, and to promote social cohesion. A local committee dedicated to children’s rights noted that the forums had led to visible collaboration and information sharing on security and peacebuilding.

Community vigilance groups were created in several neighbourhoods of Oicha. Youth groups lead on early warning, in the face of the resurgence of banditry and insecurity. CRC’s accompaniment has enabled some members to join a local security committee.⁴ Security services did not previously include civilians in security meetings, preventing the involvement of their perspectives and voices in the security decisions taken. Now, local peace structures can share analyses of challenges and make recommendations in collaboration with local authorities.

CRC has observed positive mutual attitudes and increased collaboration between civil society, political and administrative authorities, and security services. For example, the mayor of one of the target communities and territorial leaders overseeing the state of siege now consult with civil society leaders in making security decisions.

Learn more about CRC's work on their website: https://crc-rdc.org/.

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^{1  Jean-Yves Kamale, “Congo’s President Etienne Tshisekedi is sworn into office following his disputed reelection”, Associated Press, 20 January 2024: https://apnews.com/article/congo-president-tshisekedi-inauguration-8b2fb70f982511084bb2a7e2ec32944b.}

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^{2 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2717 (2023), S/RES/2717, adopted on 19 December 2023: https://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?OpenAgent&DS=S/RES/2717(2023)&Lang=E.}

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^{3 In Swahili, Tuishi Amani means "Let us live in peace".In Swahili, Tuishi Amani means "Let us live in peace".}

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^{4 Local security committees aim to evaluate and respond to security challenges within the local context. They include representatives from security services including the Armed Forces of DRC, the Congolese National Police, the General Direction of Migration, and the National Intelligence Agency.}

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