Africa Initiative Programme - Ituri Update April 05

There are new chances for peace in Ituri that haven't existed since June 2003, largely due to the pro-active approach of the MONUC and the FARDC, and how to capitalize on this opportunity. Past interventions in Ituri have shown that military engagement to deter spoilers canprovidethe necessary impetus forthe beginning of dialogue and reconciliation. For the last five years, armed groups have raped, killed and tortured innocent civilians, creating a climate of fear, hatred and insecurity for all residents of Ituri. The forced disarmament of these militia groups is an important step towards the return to normalcy and the re-establishment of peace in Ituri.

Yet, emerging lessons learnt shows these actions can have limited impact if they are not accompanied by longer-term engagement, by Congolese authorities and the International Community, using a range of political, diplomatic, financial, and military instruments. AIP's newest Ituri Update takes an in-depth look at forced disarmament during the past month and provides a forecast of its effect on conflict dynamics.

The current political landscape is changing, with positive developments including:

- The disarmament of over 10,000 militiamen in Ituri through the Demobilization and Community Reinsertion Program (DCR) as of April 12th, 2005. This can largely being attributed to a new proactive approach to demobilization, including forced disarmament, which has been backed up by both firm statements and actions of the MONUC and the Congolese Army.

- The deployment of the Congolese Army throughout the district, including the control of revenue collection points along the principal road between Tchomia and Kasenyi.

- The arrest of four top militia leaders by authorities in Kinshasafor their possible role in the killing of nine UN peace-keepers on the 25th of February. On this subject, the AIP report states "Had these arrests taken place late just six months ago, the militia groups would have also forced their respective communities into loud and violent demonstrations in the streets of Bunia....The lack of violent reaction following these arrests is a clear indication that the grip of the militia groups on their own communities has seriously weakened." These arrests constitute a step towards the abolishment of impunity and restoration of judicial procedure

There are still many challenges to establishing peace in the beleaguered district:

- An unknown number of arms being retained by former combatants and communities;

- Revenge killings against ex-combatants attempting to reintegrate into their respective communities

- Extortion of IDPs by a few soldiers of the Congolese National army and lack of regular payment for these troops.

Within one month, MONUC's pro-active approach and forceful disarmament has resulted in the recuperation of more arms than three years of voluntary disarmament. The success of MONUC's new strategy has implications for the Kivus in the coming months. However, disarmament alone can only provide a stop-gap to violence. Sustainable peace will depend on the capacity and the political will of different parties to address the root causes of the conflict.

Contact:

Peter Sampson, Senior Analystand/or Shameza Abdulla, Programme Manager
Tel: 254 20 621 911
Mobile: 254 722 175 491/ 733 417 385
UN OCHA House Gigiri Crescent
Nairobi, Kenya
petesampson@hotmail.com/sabdull2@hotmail.com