Congo-Kinshasa: Progress in Pacifying Ituri

Between 1999 and 2003 Ituri, in the Northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), became the theatre of a particularly bloody sideshow of DRC's wider civil war. Inter-ethnic and inter-rebel conflict there was rife leaving many displaced, killed and many children recruited as soldiers. With the wider DRC civil war largely over, pacifying the region was a task that still had to be done with rebel groups and militias still armed and suspicions between tribal groups still present. It has been an arduous task. Much has been achieved over recent years but, analysts and officials involved point out, the region is not yet out of the woods. UN agencies and other bodies have been overseeing a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme there which has been successful in demobilizing some 25,000 combatants and 10,000 children. Thousands of weapons have been collected. Programmes have been set up to help former fighters revert to civilian life. Hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians have returned to their homes. The reintegration process has been the most difficult phase to accomplish but there are a lot of good people on the ground trying to see to its success.

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