 |
USAID/OTI DRC Field Report July 2004
Program Description
USAID/OTI’s goal in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is to contribute to a more stable environment in war-torn communities. To advance this goal, OTI’s program has two ob-jectives: To support the reintegration process between war-affected youth and their host families; To reinforce local, regional, and national awareness in order to foster community participation on issues key to the transitional process.
USAID/OTI is supporting the following activities to achieve these objectives:
Synergie d'Education Communautaire et d'Appui à la transition (SE*CA, pronounced “C’est ça!”): –
Implemented by Chemonics, SE*CA is a Community Reintegration and Revitalization Program focusing on: psycho-social, civic, and vocational education through a Youth Education and Skills (YES) program; high-impact community-driven projects; and a media program supporting community participation on key transitional issues. SE*CA is facilitating the reintegration of war-affected youth through the revitalization of social and physical infrastructure of targeted communities.
Radio Okapiand the Partner Radio Network: DRC National Radio Initiative – OTI supports Fondation Hirondelle in its collaborative effort with the United Nations Mission in the Congo (MONUC) to broaden the effect of its national radio initiative, Radio Okapi. The station’s use of French and the main local languages (Lingala, Swahili, Tshiluba, and Kikongo) provides the population with balanced information as the political transition advances, ensuring that Congolese are informed on progress made in the normalization of political and socio-economic affairs. Additionally, Fondation Hirondelle is working with community radios, the Partner Radio Network (PRN) in areas that lack Radio Okapi coverage to train and later integrate them into the Radio Okapi network. This will improve both the future sustainability and the coverage of Radio Okapi, as well as strengthen indigenous radio stations’ capacity while encouraging networking among stations regionally and nationally.
Giving Voice to the Children of Congo (GVCC): Sisi Watoto (We, the Children) – Through this Search for Common Ground radio program, OTI enhances awareness of issues pertaining to affected youth and former child soldiers by broadcasting programs on youth-related issues and how young people can seek solutions to the violence that affects them and their communities.
Country Situation
SECURITY
The situation in eastern DRC remained tense. There were confrontations in Kalehe, South Kivu between governmental forces (FARDC) and dissenting soldiers led by the General Laurent Nkunda, former Chief of Operations for Rwandan backed RCD-Goma. Some citizens have fled the area due to instability and insecurity caused by this new round of fighting. These conflicts may have spillover effects in neighboring Goma, since some soldiers from the regular army are suspected of sympathizing with Nkunda. Inhabitants in Goma are therefore concerned that their city could become the next site of armed conflict. Hundreds of people have evacuated the city since mid-July.
DISARMAMENT, DEMOBILIZATION AND REINTEGRATION (DDR)
On July 24, Vice President Ruberwa, RCD-Goma leader, officially launched the National Program of Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (NP-DDR). The World Bank is providing approximately $200 million to finance the program, which will target about 200,000 ex-combatants nationwide. Not all of the 200,000 ex-combatants in the program will qualify for or choose to remain in the national unified army. The DDR process is expected to begin in a few months.
ELECTIONS
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) adopted a bill on nationality and submitted the text to Parliament for further deliberation. Disagreements on nationality remain at the core of various conflicts that have contributed to the destabilization of the country since 1996. There-fore, while the passage of a law on nationality is critical for the advancement of the transition process, it also has the potential to ignite further conflict.
TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT
President Kabila instituted his second cabinet change since July 11, 2004 replacing Foreign Minister Antoine Ghonda with Ramazani Baya. This reshuffling stirred debate among the general population due to Baya’s previous service under Mobutu regime.
USAID/OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
Synergie d'Education Communautaire et d'Appui à la transition (SE*CA)
During the month of July, the 14 SE*CA Master Trainers of the YES program finished the first part of their training and assisted with a baseline study being conducted in the areas surrounding Kisangani, Bunia, and Kindu. SE*CA also continued to develop community contacts in the northern Maniema and Kisangani areas and concluded the formation of the first nine Community Integration Committees (CICs) in the Kisangani region. These CICs will be responsible for orga-nizing and overseeing their communities’ participation in both the YES training program and in follow-on community projects.
Radio Okapi and the Partner Radio Network
Fondation Hirondelle has signed program agreements with the first two out of five community radios that are part of the Partner Radio Network (PRN) project. The partnerships are with Radio Communautaire Libre (RCL) of Kolwezi and Radio Communautaire de Muanda (RCM). Secu-rity constraints hindered finalization of the PRN agreement with the third identified community radio in Luberu-Sud in North Kivu but will be completed shortly. Journalist-trainer, Jean-Luc Mootoosamy, has been preparing a training program coupled with a manual specifically for the journalists of the Partner Radio Network. The first training session on basic journalism is due to start on August 23 for RCM and RCL radios. Up-to-date Radio Okapi programs can be heard via the Internet at http://www.monuc.org/radio/
Giving Voice to the Children of Congo (GVCC)
The following four programs of Giving Voice to the Children of Congo (GVCC) were produced and broadcasted by Search for Common Ground during the month of July:
- Children and Parents Lobby for Demobilization – This program gave voice to children, par-ents, and grassroots leaders in Goma who are lobbying for the demobilization of child soldiers and against remobilization. In support of this theme, a lawyer explained the judicial consequences that commanders could face when recruiting underage soldiers.
- Why are Girls Not Demobilized? – Sisi Watoto reporters spoke with newly demobilized boys and girls. The girls who were interviewed discussed their life in the armed forces, including their relationships with military leaders. The boys explained how girls were mostly used as spies in the armed forces. The interviews revealed the general trend that fewer girls are demobilized than boys and that there is a need for gender consideration in the demobilization program.
- The Return of Girl Soldiers to Their Families - This program served a follow-up to the previous program on the demobilization of girl soldiers. It explored the situation of one demobilized girl, who talked about her successful reintegration back into life with her family.
- Is there Protection for Demobilized Child Soldiers if there is Renewed Fighting? – This program attempted to respond to alarming news in North and South Kivu that demobilized child soldiers are at risk of being remobilized. Leaders of transit centers and jurists spoke about measures currently in place to prevent re-enrollment of former child soldiers.
B. July 2004 Grants Activity Summary
| Support the reintegration process between war-affected youth and their host families. |
2 |
$172,788 |
| Reinforce local, regional, and national awareness in order to foster community participation on issues key to the transitional process. |
5 |
$112,994 |
| Total |
7 |
$285,782 |
During the month of July, SE*CA awarded the following grants to assist in achieving global program objectives:
- Reconstruction of a key bridge on the main commercial trade route from Bunia to Lake Albert. This project will rehabilitate the Lokorto bridge, which formerly connected the town of Bunia, an important center of trade, to the northern part of the district of Ituri. The rehabilitation of this bridge will also reconnect the communities of Ngezi and Chari.
- Providing electricity to Budana-Tchomia (Ituri). This community project, done in collabora-tion with the Office of the Gold Mines in Kilo-Moto (OKIMO), will repair damaged electrical lines that serve hospitals, commercial centers, and residential areas. Restoration of electrical power will facilitate positive community reintegration and reconstruction in Ituri and will en-hance economic development.
- Support of “Dialogue National” newsletter. SE*CA signed a grant with ’Unité de Production de Programmes d’Education Civique (UPEC) to support the publishing of its bi-monthly bulletin, “Dialogue National,” in order to better inform the population on the progress of the transitional process.
- Distribution of the Elections Organic Law. The DRC has not known free and democratic elections for more than 40 years. Consequently, the Congolese population does not have an understanding of electoral procedure. Under this project, the International Foundation for Elections Systems (IFES) will produce and distribute roughly 40,000 copies of the Organic Law for Elections, which establishes the responsibilities of the Independent Election Commission (CEI), to the general Congolese population. The CEI was developed to organize the democratic elections scheduled to take place in June 2005.
- Sensitization Campaign on the Transition. Under this grant, Optimum, a Kinshasa-based organization, will disseminate positive messaging about peaceful transition, democratic elections, peaceful cohabitation, reconciliation, and the importance of free, transparent and democratic election. These messages will be translated into the four national languages and will be disseminated through pubic and private radio stations and billboards for a 30 days period. The commercials will target the cities of Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Beni, Bukavu, Mbuji-Mayi, Mbandaka, Kikwit, Moanda, Lubumbashi and Kindu.
- Aru Internet Center. Aru, a town in the north-eastern district of Ituri, has very little access to media and other sources of information. As a result, local knowledge of the political transition occurring in the DRC has been based on rumors and misinformation from many conflicting sources. The installation of an Internet center with support to the Association pour le Développement Communautaire (ADECO-Orientale ONGD/asbl) will allow the community of Aru and its environs access to objective and reliable information about the transitional government and other political developments. The internet center will also assist humanitarian workers and peacemakers to continue their work in the community.
- Le Souverain. The newspaper Le Souverain, produced by the Association pour la Promotion Sociale et Sanitaire (APROSSAN), has been in operation for the last 13 years and is an important source of information for the population of Southern Kivu. However, due to the lack of basic production materials and a lack of trained journalists, the publication of the newspaper is irregu-lar and has tended to result in the dissemination of misinformation. Assistance with additional material resources and training for the newspaper’s staff will increase the availability of reliable and credible information regarding the transitional government and the election processes.
C. Indicator of Success
On July 7, four youth journalists from the Sisi Watoto team visited three Banyamulenge col-leagues who fled to Rwanda during the fighting in Bukavu in early June and have been unable to return due to the continuing ethnic tensions in the region. The visit was facilitated by the Child Protection Section of MONUC, and resulted in a broadcast by Radio Okapi on the successful collaboration of these young journalists to further a lasting peace in Congo, despite their differing ethnic backgrounds. Radio Okapi emphasized how important it was to have young role mod-els who are living examples of constructive cohabitation between communities in this time of tension. The previous successes and current plight of these journalists has been reported in MONUC’s monthly magazine and has been broadcast internationally on Radio Suisse Romande.
Next Steps/Immediate Priorities
- During the current school holidays, which started in mid-July, the Sisi Watoto team will conduct field trips to the Ruzizi plain, Kalehe, Fizi/Baraka, Bunia, Kisangani and Burahale.
- Starting on July 28th, Sisi Watoto will conduct a two-week assessment of its listener-ship and impact.
- Fondation Hirondelle’s Partners Radio Network will undertake an assessment to select two more community radios that will receive training and equipment and in the future, be included in the Radio Okapi network. Additionally, a means to obtain final signatures of the third, previously identified radio station in Lubero, will be sought. Both efforts will ensure that all five program participants are on board within the coming month.
- SE*CA program staff move forward in the development and planning of the upcoming Grants Management Training scheduled for early August.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C.: Bronwyn Bruton, OTI Program Manager, e-mail: bbruton@usaid.gov; telephone: (202) 712-0827
|
