A Top Global Think Tank

Natural resources, arms and conflict in DRC

Funder: Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Timeline:Mar. 2009 - Dec. 2010

Legal and illegal circulation of weapons and natural resources has fuelled war in the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than a decade. While the war formally ended with the installation of a transitional government in 2003, arms continue to back-up claims to local natural resources.

The project has two components: one focussing on natural resource governance, and one focussing on arms transfers and control. These components are complementary. Unless the supply of arms is stemmed and use is controlled, resource sectors will stay infiltrated by militaries with dire consequences for human security and economic development.

The dual task of the proposed project is:

  • To examine the role of arms/armed forces in different resource sectors and explore how these sectors can be governed in a way that they contribute positively to economic reconstruction and peace building;

  • To identify the main actors that transport or facilitate the transport of illicit arms shipments into the DRC and explore more effective national and international strategies to respond to them.

By examining existing and proposed control and governance mechanisms and by analysing the political playing field in which these are implemented the project will generate entry points for international donors and national civil society to contribute positively to demilitarisation and peace building.

The project’s recommendations will seek to inform approaches at both national and international levels towards (1) resource governance reform, e.g. new mining and forestry legislation and concession reviews, international trade and transparency initiatives, and local development and anti-corruption initiatives in artisan industries (2) small arms control measures, e.g. the Nairobi Protocol, UN weapons sanctions regime, and other relevant forms of international regulation such as EU air safety regulation, and (3) security sector reform and DDR strategies.