Helpdesk

Question
New Literature on Conflict in the DRC: Identify new literature on the conflict in DRC since mid-2007 (including academic literature, policy analysis and reports), summarising key documents and providing an overview of key issues and emerging trends related to drivers of conflict.

Helpdesk response
Key findings: This report provides an overview of some of the recent academic, policy and practitioner literature on conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It focuses on literature produced since mid-2007, when the DFID Strategic Conflict Assessment was published. It is also limited to an assessment of the English language literature. The report highlights a number of key issues and emerging trends relating to each of the four main categories of conflict-related issues (security, political, economic, social).

There have been a number of important trends in the literature. First, the period since 2007 has seen the emergence of high quality, in-depth scholarly analysis of the recent conflict, which has provided a better understanding of the dynamics of violence as well as peace and peacebuilding. Second, there has been a greater focus in the literature on the micro-level dynamics of conflict. Third, there has been a more sustained focus on the regional dimensions of conflict. Fourth, an emerging body of literature has been critical of existing donor peacebuilding and statebuilding interventions. The main criticisms include a neglect of local conflicts, a failure to understand the dynamics of local conflict and a failure to examine the role of warlords and their international supporters.

Full response: http://www.gsdrc.org/docs/open/HD721.pdf