Congolese women meet with Ms. Robinson – the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region
By Selam Tesfaye
On April 29, 2013, women groups and organizations, including GNWP’s member Cadre Permanent de Concertation de la Femme Congolaise (CAFCO), met with Ms. Mary Robinson in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to discuss the attainment of genuine and sustainable peace throughout the DRC and the Great Lakes Region.
Ms. Robinson was appointed as the new Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa in March 2013 by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. She has served as the President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997 and has more than four decades of political and diplomatic experience, including as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002. She is expected to play a key role in supporting the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSCF) for the DRC and the Great Lakes region, signed by Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), the DRC, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia in February 2013 with the aim to stabilize the situation in the DRC.
During her first visit to the DRC as the Special Envoy, Ms. Robinson met with President Kabila, Minister of Foreign Affairs, civil society organizations and religious groups. The meeting with civil society organizations was opened by Mr. Roger A. Meece, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Civil society organizations presented their demands and concerns regarding the implementation of the PSCF, which included five components: sensitization on the population on the framework; mainstreaming of gender issues in the implementation with a special emphasis on the protection of civilians; security sector reform; setting up of DDR programs for ex-combatants; and the promotion and development of gender sensitive benchmarks in the monitoring and evaluation of progress in the implementation of the PSCF. They were also able to brief Ms. Robinson on the outcomes of the Women’s Peace Dialogue organized by GNWP and CAFCO in April 2013 and present the outcome document of this initiative.
Ms. Robinson began by thanking women’s rights organizations for their work despite the situation of instability and insecurity within the DRC. She stated that the PSCF is a glimmer of hope for achieving stability in the DRC and the Great Lakes region. She stressed the need for the signatories to do what they have committed to do within the agreement and noted that civil societies should play an important role in holding the signatories accountable. She also pointed out that based on her discussion with the President of the Republic, there will soon be a national monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the framework and she encouraged women’s participation in the implementation processes of the framework. She promised to create platforms for women to come together and discuss their concerns. She also encouraged women to participate in the upcoming meeting on June 24 in Bujumbura, Burundi planned for the discussion of the UNSCR 1325 regional plan for the Great Lakes region. She concluded by urging women to work together for a sustainable solution in the Great Lakes region.
Ms. Robinson will be continuing on to Rwanda and Burundi.
Meeting with insurgent groups is the best option to resolve conflict in eastern DRC, says Women’s Peace Delegation
By Eleonore Veillet Chowdhury
Based on the Women’s Peace Dialogue and the Women’s Peace Delegation advocacy efforts in Kinshasa, members of the Women’s Peace Delegation have concluded that it is imperative to speak directly with the different insurgent groups active in eastern DRC. Since mass rapes continue and women are systematically excluded from peace negotiations including the one with the armed group M23, women’s meaningful participation in peace processes and the prevention and protection of women from all forms of sexual and gender-based violence will be among the topics addressed in open dialogues with insurgent groups. The Women’s Peace Delegation has tasked Ms. Miria Matembe—a member of the Delegation, former Vice-President and former Member of Parliament of Uganda—with reaching out to Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, Uganda’s Minister of Defense and facilitator in the peace negotiations between the government and the M23, to arrange meetings of the Women’s Peace Delegation with insurgent groups.
The Women’s Peace Delegation has also agreed that it is urgent to speak more directly with women and women’s civil society organizations in the areas most affected by conflict, namely North Kivu, South Kivu and Province Orientale. The Women’s Peace Dialogue in Kinshasa and subsequent meetings in the nation’s capital revealed that there is a strong disconnect between women’s plight in the capital city and that of women in the east, as the repercussions of conflict are not directly felt in Kinshasa. Direct engagement with local women and local women’s groups would allow for better assessment of the situation and, as a result, for more effective and informed advocacy strategies. In addition, women’s CSOs in the east understand the context and have taken on the responsibility of caring for victims and of sensitizing local communities on Women, Peace and Security resolutions such as Resolutions 1325 and 1820. Furthermore, these CSOs have the connections to meet or organize meetings with local government actors as well as different insurgent groups in the region.
While preparations for these meetings are underway, the members of the Women’s Peace Delegation continue to widely circulate the Kinshasa Call to Action among key stakeholders, within DRC as well as in the Great Lakes region, all of Africa and the world at large. They will be sharing the Kinshasa Call to Action with Mr. Roger Meece, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as Ms. Mary Robinson, Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region. Now that the members of the Women’s Peace Delegation from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Liberia have returned to their respective countries, they are lobbying and will continue lobby their government and policy makers for the implementation of the demands made in the Kinshasa Call to Action.
The Women’s Peace Delegation consisted of Ms. Rose Mutombo Kiese, President of Cadre Permanent de Concertation de la Femme Congolaise (CAFCO-DRC); Ms. Annie Matundu Mbambi, President of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF-DRC); Ms. Justine Masika, Coordinator of Synergie de Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles (DRC); Ms. Miria Matembe, former Vice President and former Member of Parliament (Uganda); Hon. Constance Mukayuhi Rwaka, Member of Parliament (Rwanda); Ms. Catherine Mabobori, Spokesperson for the 1st Vice President; former Member of Parliament (Burundi); Ms. Nana Pratt, Coordinator, National Organization of Women (Sierra Leone); Ms. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, Establishment Coordinator, Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security (Liberia); Ms. Robinah Rubimbwa, CEWIGO Executive Director (Uganda); and Ms. Mavic Cabrera-Balleza, International Coordinator of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (Philippines/USA).
The Women’s Peace Dialogue was facilitated by the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders and the Cadre Permanent de Concertation de la Femme Congolese (CAFCO) in partnership with WILPF-DRC, Réseau Femme et Développement and the African Women’s Active Nonviolence Initiatives for Social Change (AWANICh)-DRC.
Women Leaders and Peacebuilders Say Enough to Sexual Violence in the DRC!
The Global Network of Women Peacebuilders co-facilitated a Women’s Peace Dialogue and Women’s Peace Delegation with its member organizations Cadre Permanent de Concertation de la Femme Congolaise (CAFCO), from April 5-6, 2013 in Kinshasa, DRC. Women leaders, peacebuilders and human rights activists from the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, met and came up with the Kinshasa Call to Action – an outcome document of the dialogue with a list of specific demands targeted at the DRC government, member countries of the African Union and signatories to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, UN agencies, the donor community, as well as civil society – to appeal to various key actors on issues of Women, Peace and Security.
The delegation met with the Minister of Gender, the Minister of Justice, MONUSCO, UN Women, UNDP, and representatives of religious leaders and emphasized the urgency of taking concrete actions to resolve the conflict in DRC and in the Great Lakes region. During these meetings positive initiatives such as the new Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework signed by 11 African states on February 24, 2013 as well as the ongoing peace negotiations between the government of the DRC and M23 under the auspices of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) that is being facilitated by the Ugandan government were highlighted. Participants also appreciated the recent appointment of Ms. Mary Robinson as the Special Envoy to the region as well as the communiqué signed by the DRC Prime Minister and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Ms. Zainab Bangura after her recent visit to the country. All of these endeavors are timely and if implemented effectively will be able to achieve tangible results.
However, concerns were raised in relation to the rise of incidence of violence against women, in particular mass rapes despite numerous efforts and resources spent on securing peace and stability in DRC and the Great Lakes Region. Members of the delegation were astounded with the recent news of the rape of more than 200 women in Orientale province, just a few days after Ms. Bangura’s visit. They raised these concerns in the various meetings with government officials and UN agencies and were met with the same answer: the situation is complicated and that the incidences are happening in areas outside the control of the government.
In all the delegation’s meetings, it was repeatedly stated that the government is fully committed to eliminating sexual violence in the country and that it has adopted various strategies that will enable it to do so. Among these are the National Gender Policy of 2009 and the National Strategy to Fight Sexual, Gender based Violence in 2010 and the setting up of the humanitarian assistance corridor that has benefited many women to get access to services. Yet, the numbers show otherwise. A the presentation made by a representative from the Ministry of Gender, Family and Children during the Women’s Peace Dialogue revealed that 67% of sexual violence in the DRC is in fact committed by the military while 33% is by the civilian population. Additionally, more than 52% of women in the DRC have been victims of sexual violence just in the last two decades. What is being done about this? Aside from the few measures taken such as the stripping of soldiers’ titles in front of their peers, perpetrators are still free due to the lack of adequate justice mechanisms. Impunity also perpetuates the rise of sexual violence incidences in the country.
Among the specific demands addressed to the DRC government in the Kinshasa Call to Action is ensuring the equitable development and just distribution of revenue within all regions of the DRC in terms of basic services and infrastructure. This especially resonates true for communities that produce insurgent groups in the eastern parts of the country. In order to ensure national unity and move beyond the rhetoric of armed rebellion, these communities need to be provided with basic services.
There is also a need to move away from the traditional discussions of armed conflicts and blaming rebel groups and into capacity development mechanisms for local communities especially women such as revenue generation activities. Protection and promotion of women’s rights in the DRC will also benefit in the economic productivity of the country since women comprise a majority of the population. Women should break away from the status of victimhood and claim their rights. In this regard, the government should also take national ownership of the issue and fulfill all its past and present commitments to do away with its label, “the rape capital of the world”!
Congolese Women Demand Discussions on the “Intervention Brigade” in the DRC
By Mavic Cabrera-Balleza
Congolese women and women from Burundi, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Uganda who took part in the Women’s Peace Dialogue held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo from April 5-6, 2012 demanded discussions on the formation of the first Intervention Brigade that will operate in the eastern part of the DRC. Authorized under UN Security Council Resolution 2098, which was adopted on March 28, 2013, the Intervention Brigade will operate under orders to “neutralize” and “disarm” armed groups in the resource-rich eastern part of the country.
In the Kinshasa Call to Action, the outcome document of the Women’s Peace Dialogue, the 81 participants of the dialogue called on MONUSCO and relevant UN entities to ensure that the Intervention Brigade does not violate the rights of civilian populations especially women. Below are the other demands that the women have put forward:
- Facilitate discussions with women’s groups to ensure that their perspectives on UNSCR 2098 are taken into account in its implementation;
- Ensure that all peace keeping forces, including the Intervention Brigade, adhere to the principles of zero tolerance on sexual exploitation and abuse in the execution of their mandates;
- Incorporate women’s concerns in the future execution of the Intervention Brigade’s mandate; and
- Provide gender sensitization training to security forces, national militaries, and the police.
The Women’s Peace Dialogue participants also expressed concern that the Intervention Brigade might in fact contribute to the escalation of fighting in the areas where they will operate and the risk of women and girls being targeted as a form of retaliation.
The Women’s Peace Dialogue participants also urged MONUSCO to continue to effectively monitor and report on the human rights situation and support national and international efforts to protect, promote and fulfill the human rights of Congolese people. Additionally, they called on MONUSCO, UN Women and the relevant UN entities to support the Women’s Peace Delegation’s upcoming advocacy efforts including dialogues with local leaders and insurgent groups in eastern DRC.”
Following the Women’s Peace Dialogue, the participants met with the Minister of Gender, Minister of Justice, the leaders of the inter-faith Congolese congregations and various officials from MONUSCO, UNDP, UN Women to present their demands aimed at putting an end to the violence in the DRC, particularly sexual violence. In all of these meetings, the women emphasized the need to address the root causes of the conflict in DRC and in the Great Lakes region.
The full copy of the Kinshasa Call to Action can be accessed here.
The Women’s Peace Dialogue was facilitated by the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders and the Cadre Permanent de Concertation de la Femme Congolese (CAFCO) in partnership with WILPF-DRC, Réseau Femme et Développement and the African Women’s Active Nonviolence Initiatives for Social Change (AWANICh)-DRC.
Opening Ceremony
By Selamawit Tesfaye
Over 80 civil society participants, government officials, and international actors gathered in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on April 5, 2013 for the Women’s Peace Dialogue (WPD). The dialogue is an initiative of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), its member organizations, including Cadre Permanent de Concertation de la Femme Congolaise (CAFCO), African Women’s Active Nonviolence Initiatives for Social Change (AWANICh)-DRC, Réseau Femme et Développement, WILPF-DRC, and other civil society partners. The Women’s Peace Delegation of prominent women leaders and activists from Burundi, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Uganda also joined the dialogue. The main objective of the WPD is to generate concrete responses from individual governments involved in the discussions on the incidences of violence in the DRC, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the African Union and the UN Security Council.
President of CAFCO, Rose Mutombo Kiese, started off the opening ceremony by thanking all the participants for taking part in this dialogue. She then stressed the urgency for women activists to unite and act to address the unchanging situation in the DRC. The primary motive of this meeting, she explained, was to formulate specific recommendations and call upon those policymakers and other stakeholders who are involved in the conflicts to stop violence and reach a lasting peace in the country. “I invite you to focus our exchanges on specific issues, questioning what has already been done, what has yet to be done, why, and how in order to identity appropriate strategies. We can only do this is we pay attention to our common denominator – WOMEN,” she said. Ms. Kiese ended her opening remarks by thanking CAFCO’s partners who supported this project, including the GNWP, Cordaid, the Regional UN Office, and UNDP.
GNWP International Coordinator, Mavic Cabrera Balleza, gave a speech in which she talked about GNWP’s work and the objectives of the WPD. She acknowledged that there were various international policies, strategies, agreements and resolutions on the DRC. Yet, incidences of violence against women continue which she said necessitates an intervention such as the WPD. She called on the Congolese people and Congolese government leaders to take on greater responsibility and demonstrate strong leadership to fight impunity and end the rampant violence exerted on women in the country.
The DRC Representative of UN Women, Francoise Ngendahayo, made a brief statement emphasizing UN Women’s support of the initiative. Lastly, the Hon. Ministry of Gender, Family and Children, Ms. Geneviève Inagosi Bulo I. Kassongo officially opened the Women’s Peace Dialogue. She conveyed her support of the Women’s Peace Dialogue and reiterated that “all of the strategies adopted until now have not brought about results.” She stressed the need for something different and new to address the conflicts in the DRC. She also assured the participants that they could all count on the Ministry of Gender’s cooperation and assistance in follow up activities.
GNWP and its members take the Localization of UNSCR 1325 and 1820 Program to the Democratic Republic of Congo
By Selamawit Tesfaye
From March 28 to April 3, 2013, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, a program of the International Civil society Action Network (GNWP-ICAN) and its members, lead by Cadre Permanent de Consultation de la Femme Congolaise (CAFCO), will hold Localization of UNSCR 1325 and 1820 workshops in Lubumbashi and Likasi, two cities in the Katanga province in the south east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Other members include Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) – DRC, Réseau Femme et Développement (REFED), and African Women’s Active Nonviolence Initiatives for Social Change (AWANICh) – DRC.
In these workshops, local authorities such as governors, mayors, paramount chiefs, traditional, cultural and religious leaders, women leaders, civil society representatives and other local key actors will examine the UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and DRC’s National Action Plan (NAP) on UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
Participants will identify the specific provisions of the NAP most relevant to the social and cultural context of their communities and discuss how these provisions could be integrated into their local development plans. Additionally, participants will express their personal commitments and action recommendations that they can implement immediately as they are working on their local development plans.
These workshops constitute a bottom-up approach to the implementation of the WPS resolutions, with local authorities and communities taking ownership of the implementation of the resolutions. The resolutions call for participation of women in all decision-making and peacebuilding processes, prevention of conflict, prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, protection of women and girls’ rights, and promotion of a gender-perspective on peace and security issues.
Follow-up to these workshops will include the replication of the workshops in other provinces of the DRC and the development of comprehensive guidelines to be used by local officials throughout the country to integrate Resolutions 1325 and 1820 in local development plans.
The Localization workshops have already been implemented by GNWP-ICAN and its member organizations in a number of countries, namely, Burundi, the Philippines, Nepal, Colombia, Sierra Leone and Uganda. Nepal, Burundi and Sierra Leone have now developed Guidelines for the integration of WPS resolutions in local development planning.
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GNWP-ICAN and its members in the DRC thank the Government of the UK for supporting this program.