03 Nov 2006: ISS Seminar, Pretoria: Post-conflict Reconstruction in the Great Lakes Region: The Challenges of Building Peace in the DRC and Burundi

ISS Seminar: Post-conflict Reconstruction in the Great Lakes Region: The Challenges of Building Peace in the DRC and Burundi
Pretoria, 3 November 2006

By Invitation Only

 

To adapt an old metaphor, one could say, when the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sneezes, the entire region including Burundi catch a cold, and vice versa. It is widely understood that conflicts in the DRC and Burundi are/were linked inextricably through cross-border insurgencies, cross-border ethnic linkages, and cross-border economic ties. The legacy of genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity hangs heavily over the Great Lakes region.

 

Although the DRC and its eastern neighbour, Burundi, have their own particular set of factors and forces that make them prone to violent internal conflicts, these countries also have historic relationships that are linked to the regional security regime. Despite their violent past, there is now a glimmer of hope for lasting peace in the region. Since 2002, when the main rebel movement in Burundi signed a power-sharing agreement with the transitional government and was integrated into government institutions, a successful election was held in 2005, followed by recent progress on talks with the last remaining militia, the FNL. In the DRC, a transitional government of national unity was installed in June 2003 and the first round of presidential elections was held on 30 July 2006; its first free, democratic, multi-party elections in more than 40 years. The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) on 20 August 2006 announced official provisional results from the 30 July presidential elections. Since no candidate won a majority of votes in the first round and in accordance with the country’s electoral law, the top two recipients, Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba faced off in a second round of balloting on 29 October 2006.

 

Additionally, these efforts to consolidate peace in the two countries have been under girded by the Great Lakes Conference initiative that had been convened by the United Nations and the African Union to analyse ways and means for a holistic solution that can stabilise the entire region. Despite efforts, there are still concerns that peace is still fragile and there are also fears that violent conflict could recur. This seminar will review the outcomes of the DRC elections and Burundi peace processes, their impacts on regional security and how these challenges are being met through the Great Lakes Conference initiative.

 

Date: 03 November 2006
Venue: ISS Conference Room, Block C, Brooklyn Court, 361 Veale Street, New Muckleneuk (Parking in Brooklyn Mall and ABSA Court)
Time: 09h00 to 12h30
Enquiries: Charlene Harry, Tel: (012) 346 9500, Fax: (012) 460 0997, E-mail: [email protected]

 

Agenda:

• 09h00-09h20: A critical analysis of the peace process and agreements reached so far - Jan VAN ECK, ISS Burundi Peace Project Consultant
• 09h00-09h40: Challenges of post-conflict reconstruction in Burundi - Nicolas BWAKIRA, Director, Africa Directorate, UNISA
• 09h40-10h00: Analysis of challenges facing post-Election DRC - Joseph YAV, ISS Research Consultant
• 10h00-10h20: Peace and security in DRC and regional implications- Henri BOSHOFF, ISS Military Analyst
• 10h20-11h30: Q&A
• 11h30-11h40: Coffee break
• 11h40-12h00: A critical analysis of the GLR Conference agenda and prospects for its implementation - Bruno Umba DINDELO
• 12h00-12h30: Q&A