Institute for Security Studies

Nyambura Githaiga, Researcher, African Conflict Prevention Program, Nairobi Office

In the Eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the election agenda has been eclipsed by recent developments in the mining sector.  The already delayed elections are slated for later on this year, commencing on 27 November with the presidential and parliamentary polls.  However, the possible gains of a successful election offer cold comfort to populations in the East who grapple daily with survival in the context of lingering insecurity and underdevelopment.  A major contributor to this negative context is the illegal exploitation of natural resources from which illegal armed groups benefit.  Additional contributing factors, to name a few, include the continued presence of illegal armed groups, endemic sexual and gender-based violence, poor infrastructure, incomplete security sector reform, and systemic corruption.  In the midst of this plethora of negative contributors to the status of Eastern DRC, illegal exploitation of natural resources takes precedence as a pervasive aspect of the conflict.  Gaining access and control of mines in this mineral rich region has triggered the activity of illegal exploiters while perpetuating their existence through the illegal profiteering. Continue reading DRC: Cutting the Hydra Head of Illegal Mining →