IOM in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has signed an agreement with the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands to lead an ambitious Consortium that aims to work with local communities and governmental institutions towards the stabilization and peace of the country’s troubled eastern region.

IOM, the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid), PAX and the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG-International) have joined forces to implement the 42-month, EUR 12.5 million program. 

Although a regional peace agreement was signed in 2013, conflict continues in Eastern DRC.  The Congolese people face hardship and insecurity and after decades of armed conflict, the ability of the state to respond has eroded.  Issues such as land rights and ethnicity add to these problems and perpetuate cycles of conflict and insecurity. 

As part of a new international approach to these long-standing problems, the Consortium’s objective is to improve security by addressing local conflict through democratic dialogues and by building the capacity of key state security institutions to better meet the needs of the people.  The initial months will involve consultations with both the people and the government to fine-tune the design of the programme to the ever changing environment.  

The Consortium plans to work directly with communities to renew and sustain dialogue processes that build trust and understanding between the diverse groups within Eastern DRC’s society.  The Cellule Provinciale d’Appui à la Pacification in North Kivu and the Local Peace Initiatives in Ituri Province are to monitor the security and human rights situation and bring all members of society together to establish shared perspectives and seek non-violent resolutions of conflict.

“Security, particularly in Eastern DRC, is the most complex of all basic needs,” said Jean-Philippe Chauzy, IOM’s Chief of Mission in DRC. “To be achieved, it requires a shared perspective, contributions and active participation from all segments of society.  By bringing communities together, the Consortium will act as a powerful catalyst for peace and stabilization.”     

The Consortium also seeks to work together with the police, justice and local administration to improve their responsiveness and accountability to the people.  A process called Results Based Financing will lay out indicators for performance for each of the institutions and if the population agrees that there is an improvement, a subsidy will be released on a quarterly basis.

The improved coordination and effectiveness of the security sector is also targeted through on-the-job training and coaching of the Conseils de Sécurité.  In this forum, all security actors – including the police, justice, intelligence, administration and civil society – meet to decide on security matters. 

A learning tool called benchmarking and hands-on expertise provided by (former) mayors from the Netherlands will be offered to help these forums analyze the security situation and make sound decisions regarding the security of the population.  

“The combined expertise of these four organizations provides a unique opportunity to address local safety and security concerns in an integrated manner,” said Frédérique de Man, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Rwanda.   

The programme intends to build on the United Nations’ International Security and Stabilization Support Strategy (ISSSS), which is the main vehicle for international support for DRC’s Stabilization and Reconstruction Plan for War Affected Areas (STAREC).