CONFLICT RESOLUTION MECHANISMS IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF RWANDA, BURUNDI, AND THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Keywords:
Conflict Resolution, Great Lakes Region, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Peace-Building, Transitional Justice, Reconciliation, Governance, Geopolitical DynamicsAbstract
The Great Lakes Region of Africa has long been characterized by a volatile history of conflict, deeply rooted in ethnic tensions, resource disputes, and political instability. This study presents a comparative analysis of conflict resolution mechanisms in Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, critically evaluating their effectiveness within the broader regional peace-building framework. The research uncovered patterns of success and failure, providing a nuanced understanding of how local, national, and international actors have engaged in peace processes. Rwanda's post-genocide reconciliation model, Burundi's power-sharing arrangements, and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s transitional justice mechanisms are examined in detail to assess their sustainability, adaptability, and long-term impact on regional stability. The findings reveal that while each country has made strides in addressing internal conflict, deep-seated challenges remain, often exacerbated by external interventions and the region's complex geopolitical dynamics. Rwanda’s Gacaca courts, though effective in fostering grass roots reconciliation, face critiques regarding the marginalization of opposition voices. Burundi’s Arusha Agreement, heralded as a milestone in inclusive governance, struggles with entrenched political divisions and recurring violence. In contrast, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs are hampered by weak state institutions and pervasive corruption, limiting their efficacy. The study highlights the need for a hybrid model that integrates traditional conflict resolution methods with modern legal frameworks, emphasizing inclusivity, accountability, and regional cooperation as pillars for sustainable peace. This research contributes to the field of conflict resolution by providing a novel comparative framework for evaluating peace processes in conflict-ridden states, offering actionable policy recommendations for strengthening governance, justice, and peace-building efforts in the Great Lakes Region. By identifying the gaps and proposing context-specific solutions, the study offers new insights into how the region can move beyond cyclical violence toward lasting peace and development.
References
1. African Union Constitutive Act. (2000). African Union. https://au.int/en/constitutive-act Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. (1998). United Nations
2. African Union Gender Strategy. (2017). African Union
3. African Union Peace and Security Council. (2004). Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union.
4. Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. (2015). African Union
5. Autesserre, S. (2010). The Trouble with the Congo: Local Violence and the Failure of International Peace-building. Cambridge University Press.
6. Bose, S. (2003). Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace. Harvard University Press.
7. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
8. Chandler, D. (2000). Bosnia: Faking Democracy after Dayton. Pluto Press.
9. Clark, P. (2010). The Gacaca Courts, Post-Genocide Justice and Reconciliation in Rwanda: Justice without Lawyers. Cambridge University Press.
10. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Sage. Curtis, D. (2016). The Peace-building-Power Nexus in Burundi. African Affairs, 115(458), 501–521.
11. Des Forges, A. (1999). *Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda*. Human Rights Watch.
12. El Zeidy, M. M. (2002). The Principle of Complementarity: A New Machinery to Implement International Criminal Law. Michigan Journal of International Law, 23(4).
13. Gause, F. G. (2014). The International Relations of the Persian Gulf. Cambridge University Press. Leech, G. (2011). The FARC: The Longest Insurgency. Zed Books.
14. Gready, P. (2011). The Era of Transitional Justice: The Aftermath of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and Beyond. Routledge.
15. Hancock, L. E. (1998). Northern Ireland: Troubles Brewing. Cambridge University Press.
16. Ingelaere, B. (2016). Inside Rwanda’s Gacaca Courts: Seeking Justice after Genocide. University of Wisconsin Press.
17. International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). (2006). Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region
18. Khalidi, R. (2006). The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for Statehood. Beacon Press.
19. Lederach, J.P. (2003). The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. Good Books. Lemarchand, R. (1996). Burundi: Ethnic Conflict and Genocide. Cambridge University Press.
20. Lemarchand, R. (2009). The Dynamics of Violence in Central Africa. University of Pennsylvania Press.
21. Makdisi, S. (1996). The Culture of Sectarianism: Community, History, and Violence in Nineteenth-Century Ottoman Lebanon. University of California Press.
22. Mamdani, M. (2001). When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda. Princeton University Press.
23. Murithi, T. (2009). The African Union’s Transition from Non-intervention to Non-indifference: An Ad hoc Approach to the Responsibility to Protect? Sur-International Journal on Human Rights, 6(11).
24. Nindorera, W. (2012). The CNDD-FDD in Burundi: The path from armed to political struggle. Berghof Foundation.
25. Nindorera, W. (2017). Transitional Justice in Burundi: A Long and Uncertain Path. ICTJ Briefing.
26. Prunier, G. (2009). Africa’s World War: Congo, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Making of a Continental Catastrophe. Oxford University Press.
27. Reyntjens, F. (2011). Political Governance in Post-Genocide Rwanda. Cambridge University Press. Rotberg, R. I. (2002). "Failed States in a World of Terror." Foreign Affairs, 81(4), 127-140.
28. Richani, N. (2013). Systems of Violence: The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia. SUNY Press. Ramet, S. P. (2006). The Three Yugoslavias: State-Building and Legitimation, 1918–2005. Indiana University Press. Richani, N. (2013). Systems of Violence: The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia. SUNY Press.
29. Rubin, B. R. (2002). The Fragmentation of Afghanistan: State Formation and Collapse in the International System. Yale University Press.
30. Sarkin, J. (2001). "The Tension between Justice and Reconciliation in Rwanda: Politics, Human Rights, Due Process and the Role of the Gacaca Courts in Dealing with the Genocide." Journal of African Law, 45(2), 143-172.
31. Stearns, J. (2011). Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa. Public Affairs. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (2015).
32. Vandeginste, S. (2015). Power-sharing, Conflict, and Transition in Burundi: Twenty Years of Trial and Error. African Spectrum. Vlassenroot, K., & Raeymaekers, T. (2004). Conflict and Social Transformation in Eastern DR Congo. Academia Press.
33. Zehr, H. (1990). Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice. Herald Press.
