The Utopia of Peace in the Great Lakes Region, the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

As a post conflict country, Congo strives to get off to a fresh start through several endeavors, domestically as well as internationally. 

But what's happening in the eastern part of the country ,and in the entire state enhances scholars and change makers to think of practical solutions to solve the myriad of challenges.  

If we consider the year 1994 (the year of the Rwanda Genocide) as a starting point, we might argue that equality and human rights really matter in the Great Lakes Region as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

In this reflection, we would like to focus on the long-lasting crisis in its eastern part, on the one hand, and a brief analysis of the international response, on the other hand. 

Lessons Learned 

1.Hidden agenda 

Forced and pressed to receive population influx from its neighboring countries for years did not help the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and added to the ongoing armed conflict with M23, with the so-called impotence or the incapability of UN peace mission to cope with the challenge. Obviously, those significant facts hinder a long-lasting peace in the region, therefore endangering Human Rights initiatives and equality virtues. 

Furthermore, despite various pieces of evidence from the Congolese government and reports from UN peacekeeping missions in 2023 regarding the involvement of neighboring countries, the Security Council still avoids convening to address the situation appropriately. The conflict in the DRC is so multifaceted that it can easily be framed in terms of resource exploitation rather than the pursuit of peace. We should acknowledge the insights of the well-known Franco-Cameroonian journalist Charles Onana, who revealed a hidden agenda behind a supposed peace mission, specifically referencing "Operation Turquoise" in the North Kivu area. Additionally, we must remember the backgrounds of all the rebel leaders from 1994 to the present. 

DRC, which received neighboring populations for humanitarian reasons, continues to struggle to recover merely because it is trapped by its naivety in seeking to please its traditional partners. 

2. The international response 

Regarding the refugee situation, there is inadequate governance by UN agencies such as UNHCR and WFP, which seem to be comfortable with continually taking over functions that should be the responsibility of states. For example, in the South Ubangi area of the Central African Republic (CAR), refugee cases should have normally ceased, yet camps like the Yakoma Site in the North Ubangi area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are still being established under the pretense of providing international protection.  

Consequently, many people continue to cross the border back and forth to receive aid, only to return to their country of origin, with the expectation of crossing the border again the following month. This situation has turned into a cyclical pattern, which resembles more of a business operation orchestrated by high-level overseas experts rather than a genuine humanitarian effort. 

To promote and uphold human rights values in the country and the region, it is essential to re-evaluate the agendas of UN agencies in Africa. UN relief efforts should adopt a new approach that emphasizes the strict fulfillment of their mandates. By doing so, they will be able to provide better assistance and protection for those in need. 

Through proactive cooperation, the parties to the 1951 convention will make a lasting commitment to promoting protection for refugees by all available means. The UNHCR, on the other hand, should avoid prolonging refugee situations or exploiting them in any way. Its interventions should occur only under strict conditions and in a limited manner. 

3.Lessons 

The DRC governance is terrible, so is the UN relief approach for decades. The governance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is poor, and so has been the United Nations' relief approach for decades. There is a prevailing belief in the country that prolonged refugee situations in the region are not unforeseen; however, little has been done to alleviate them.  

Some suspect that this lack of action is intentional. 

Our regime is clearly unable and unwilling, whereas the UN relief navigates this situation with tact, either directly or indirectly. 

One potential solution is to provide free education for everyone, supported by a human rights-based approach to development.  

However, it remains a significant challenge. In terms of law, legislation and its implementation suffer from a decline in civilizational standards and questionable legal frameworks worldwide. As an African author once stated, "No country develops another country; instead, the latter must develop itself." 

(Quotation reference: Historian and philosopher Joseph Ki-Zerbo, PhD, from Burkina Faso, former university professor at the Sorbonne in Paris, France; he died in 2006.) 

 Author:  

Bwanga Christian, Human Rights Defender in the Democratic Republic of Congo. and a former Refugees' camp manager.