This article critically examines the strategies for building inclusive peace in the DRC in the face of armed groups backed by neighboring states, foreign companies, and transnational actors seeking to exploit the country’s abundant natural resources.
Essays
Essays present critical analysis and debate on a pressing issue in African peacebuilding.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Fostering a Gendered Approach to Peacebuilding in the African Great Lakes Region: Perspectives from the Democratic Republic of Congo
by Trésor Makunya Muhindo
Introduction Since the late 1990s, the African Great Lakes Region (AGLR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in particular, have been ravaged by interstate and intrastate conflicts. Negotiations were undertaken, under the supervision of the international community and regional organizations, in order to broker agreements among the belligerent parties and establish sustainable peace. These […]
Democratic Republic of Congo
Promoting Inclusive Peacebuilding in the African Great Lakes Region: A Case Study of the Democratic Republic of Congo
by Balingene Kahombo
This Special Issue of Kujenga Amani brings together articles by Congolese scholars and researchers, largely from the University of Goma, examining peacebuilding efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and prospects for the future. The DRC remains one of the most conflict-affected and unstable countries in the African Great Lakes Region (AGLR) because of […]
Democratic Republic of Congo
Natural Resource Governance and Peace in the African Great Lakes Region: A Legal Perspective to the Case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
by Balingene Kahombo
Introduction Natural resource governance is widely recognized as an important international public policy issue. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 12.2 seeks to achieve, by 2030, “the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.”1UNGA Res.A/RES/70/1, 25 September 2015: Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, p.22. The African Union (AU) prioritizes […]
Covid-19 in Africa
Reflections on Conducting Fieldwork during the Covid-19 Pandemic
by Tapiwa Madimu
The pandemic has necessitated the creation of new methodological tools and ethical practices, as well as the adaptation of older practices, to meet the challenges faced by researchers and the researched. Researchers have been confronted with the dilemma of either canceling field research, postponing it indefinitely, or continuing, with the attendant risks to their own health and the health of their informants.
Conflict
The Challenge of Mothering in the Context of Violent Conflict: How War Is Impacting Women in Tigray, Ethiopia
by Sela Muyoka Musundi
On June 22, 2021, the Ethiopian Air Force conducted an aerial bombardment of a busy marketplace in the village of Togoga, in Tigray, Ethiopia, causing the deaths of at least 64 people and injuring 180 others.1Jason Burke, “Scores Killed in Ethiopian Airstrike on Tigray Market,” The Guardian, June 24, 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/24/ethiopian-airstrike-tigray-market. Although Ethiopian military sources […]
Africa
Understanding Gender Complementarity in Igbo Society: The Role of Ụmụada and Ụmụnna in Peacebuilding
by Ngozi Ugo Emeka-Nwobia
Introduction This essay argues that gender roles and relations in peacebuilding in Igbo society are complementary against the background of some misconceptions about the social relationships and cultures of the Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria. Of note is the portrayal of Igbo women by some scholars as being subservient, inferior, voiceless, and mere appendages to […]
Africa
Between Hopes and Nightmares: A Reflection on Armed Conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Two Years into President Tshisekedi’s Administration
by Justin B. Munyakazi
Two years into President Tshisekedi’s administration, people continue to go through harrowing experiences in the conflict zones of the eastern DRC.
Africa
Genocidal Rape? The Tigray Conflict and Women’s Bodies as a Battleground
by Sela Muyoka Musundi
In the early hours of November 4, 2020, the armed wing of the former ruling party of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), attacked several federal military bases across Tigray including the military’s Northern Command headquarters in the capital Mekelle and killed or captured and detained soldiers and raided several armories.1Reuters, […]
Africa
Kenya-US Relations under Joe Biden’s Presidency: Prospects and Challenges
by Linnet Hamasi
Under Joe Biden’s presidency, there are certain expectations that the new US administration will pay more attention to and provide adequate support for addressing the fallouts of the terrorist attacks borne by Kenya over the years.