African Arguments Written by experts with an unrivalled knowledge of the continent, African Arguments is a series of concise, engaging books that address the key issues currently facing Africa. Topical and thought-provoking, accessible but in-depth, they provide essential reading for anyone interested in getting to the heart of both why contemporary Africa is the way it is and how it is changing. African Arguments Online African Arguments Online is a website managed by the Royal African Society, which hosts debates on the African Arguments series and other topical issues that affect Africa: http://africanarguments.org Series editors Richard Dowden, Royal African Society Alex de Waal, Executive Director, World Peace Foundation Alcinda Honwana, Open University Managing editor Stephanie Kitchen, International African Institute Editorial board Emmanuel Akyeampong, Harvard University Tim Allen, London School of Economics and Political Science Akwe Amosu, Open Society Institute Breyten Breytenbach, Gorée Institute Peter da Costa, journalist and development specialist William Gumede, journalist and author Abdul Mohammed, InterAfrica Group Robert Molteno, editor and publisher Titles already published Alex de Waal, AIDS and Power: Why There is No Political Crisis – Yet Tim Allen, Trial Justice: The International Criminal Court and the Lord’s Resistance Army Raymond W. Copson, The United States in Africa Chris Alden, China in Africa Tom Porteous, Britain in Africa Julie Flint and Alex de Waal, Darfur: A New History of a Long War Jonathan Glennie, The Trouble with Aid: Why Less Could Mean More for Africa Peter Uvin, Life after Violence: A People’s Story of Burundi Bronwen Manby, Struggles for Citizenship in Africa Camilla Toulmin, Climate Change in Africa Orla Ryan, Chocolate Nations: Living and Dying for Cocoa in West Africa Theodore Trefon, Congo Masquerade: The Political Culture of Aid Inefficiency and Reform Failure Léonce Ndikumana and James Boyce, Africa’s Odious Debts: How Foreign Loans and Capital Flight Bled a Continent Mary Harper, Getting Somalia Wrong? Faith, War and Hope in a Shattered State Neil Carrier and Gernot Klantschnig, Africa and the War on Drugs Alcinda Honwana, Youth and Revolution in Tunisia Marc Epprecht, Sexuality and Social Justice in Africa: Rethinking Homosexuality and Forging Resistance Lorenzo Cotula, The Great African Land Grab? Agricultural Investments and the Global Food System Michael Deibert, The Democratic Republic of Congo: Between Hope and Despair Adam Branch and Zachariah Mampilly, Africa Uprising: Popular Protest and Political Change Celeste Hicks, Africa’s New Oil: Future Fortune or Resource Curse? Morten Jerven, Africa: Why Economists Get it Wrong Theodore Trefon, Congo’s Environmental Paradox Paul Richards, Ebola: How a People’s Science Helped End an Epidemic Louisa Lombard, State of Rebellion: Violence and Intervention in the Central African Republic Forthcoming titles Odd-Helge Fjelstad, Wilson Prichard, Mick Moore, Taxing Africa Celeste Hicks, The Trial of Hissène Habré Hilary Matfess, Women and the War on Boko Haram: Wives, Weapons, Witnesses Published by Zed Books and the IAI with the support of the following organizations: The principal aim of the International African Institute is to promote scholarly understanding of Africa, notably its changing societies, cultures and languages. Founded in 1926 and based in London, it supports a range of seminars and publications including the journal Africa. www.internationalafricaninstitute.org Now more than a hundred years old, the Royal African Society today is Britain’s leading organization promoting Africa’s cause. Through its journal, African Affairs, and by organizing meetings, discussions and other activities, the society strengthens links between Africa and Britain and encourages understanding of Africa and its relations with the rest of the world. www.royalafricansociety.org The World Peace Foundation, founded in 1910, is located at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. The Foundation’s mission is to promote innovative research and teaching, believing that these are critical to the challenges of making peace around the world, and should go hand in hand with advocacy and practical engagement with the toughest issues. Its central theme is ‘reinventing peace’ for the twenty- first century. www.worldpeacefoundation.org About the author Kris Berwouts is an independent analyst and acknowledged expert on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Until 2012, he was the director of EurAc, the European NGO network for advocacy on Central Africa. He has worked with different bilateral and multilateral partners of the DRC including DfID, MONUSCO and the EU. C O N G O ’ S V I O L E N T P E A C E CONFLICT AND STRUGGLE SINCE THE GREAT AFRICAN WAR KRIS BERWOUTS In association with International African Institute Zed Books Royal African Society LONDON World Peace Foundation Congo’s Violent Peace: Conflict and Struggle Since the Great African War was first published in 2017 by Zed Books Ltd, The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR, UK. www.zedbooks.net Copyright © Kris Berwouts 2017 The rights of Kris Berwouts to be identified as the editor of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. Typeset in Haarlemmer by seagulls.net Index by John Harrier Cover design by Jonathan Pelham Cover photo © Brian Sokol/UNHCR/Panos All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of Zed Books Ltd. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-1-78360-370-1 hb ISBN 978-1-78360-369-5 pb ISBN 978-1-78360-371-8 pdf ISBN 978-1-78360-372-5 epub ISBN 978-1-78360-373-2 mobi With love and respect for Zaida Catalan, Michael J. Sharp, Pascal Kabungulu, Floribert Chebeya, Serge Maheshe and all other friends and colleagues who died in their search for truth and justice for the people of Congo. ‘Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.’ Zaida Catalan quoting Buddha in her last tweet before she was killed on 12 March 2017.