| dc.description.abstract | Despite the vast research and advances in the theory and practice of conflict and its management,
still remains endemic in modern society. In Africa, violent conflict has led to death, destruction of property and environment and stifles human development and progress. The DRC, the current epicenter of the Great Lakes conflict system due to the interlocking actors, issues and interests has roped in most of its neighbors and other extra-regional players. Despite various conflict management approaches applied the conflict still endures. The dimension that intrigues many authors is the problem of measuring the success/ failure of the conflict management approaches.
This study examines the efficiency of the various approaches between 1998 and 2008 through qualitative interviews with Congolese citizens, conflict scholars/ practitioners and key informants with a view of appraising the existing methods. An analysis of these interviews yields that such approaches have not been effective rendering the conflict intractable, that complex interlocking issues, actors and their motives are to blame for the ongoing humanitarian crisis. In addition, a close analysis reveals a premium attached to collective will which the respondents believe may yet transform the conflict.
Further, the respondents felt that addressing the structural causes of the conflict and the concerns of the various actors and their interests, would change its dynamics and processes. Be that as it may, monitoring of such processes was deemed as very important. This study is part of a growing body of research on the Eastern DRC Conflict where ethnicity, citizenship, and resource usage have merged together to create a complex conflict nightmare and a challenge to conflict management | en_US |
