Land related conflicts and peacebuilding in Minembwe, South Kivu, DRC

For more than two decades, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in particular the Minembwe highlands, have been the scene of violent conflict. The dynamics of conflict in this part of the republic are of concern to a number of actors, including various sections of the local population who are victims, as well as local and international humanitarian agencies. The aim of this study was to characterize the way in which land-related conflicts arose in Minembwe, to analyze the relationship between humanitarian intervention and land conflicts, and how humanitarians integrate peace-building into their programs; and to determine the scope for better integration of peace-building at local level into humanitarian action. The results of this study showed that conflicts in Minembwe are more identity-based, but not between farmers and herders (as mediatized), as the population of Minembwe lived in peace with minimal conflicts having local solutions. It was only after political manipulation, the spread of hate speech and the improvisation of politicized armed groups (local and foreign) that the conflicts became violent. Our respondents pointed out that humanitarian organizations have made efforts, but these remain insignificant given the intense needs of the population.