Dimensions régionales des conflits dans les Grands Lacs

The document is a workshop report detailing the regional dimensions of conflict in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. It examines how the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), the illegal exploitation of natural resources, and forced displacement create a cycle of instability. The report analyzes the role of regional bodies like the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the East African Community (EAC) in promoting sustainable peace, while highlighting systemic challenges such as weak governance, impunity for human rights violations, and a dependence on external funding.

• Conflicts in the Great Lakes Region are characterized as a regional security complex where transnational ethnicity, exclusion policies, state weakness, and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) act as primary catalysts.
• The proliferation of SALW is driven by supply, demand, and misuse, with the latter being the primary concern; these weapons are often used by civilians for self-protection due to the absence of state security.
• Forced displacement and conflict exist in a vicious cycle where violent conflicts produce internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, who then increase social pressure and internal tensions that can trigger further conflicts.
• The region faces a critical issue with 'protracted refugee situations' (PRS), exemplified by Tanzania, where refugees from Burundi and the DRC have an average exile duration of 22.5 years as of December 2006.
• Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is rampant in the region, often used by armed gangs for ritual reasons, revenge, or ethnic cleansing, with a noted lack of legal protection and support for male victims.
• The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) employs a holistic approach to peace, integrating human rights, democracy, and good governance through mechanisms like the Regional Observatory on Human Rights.
• The US Dodd-Frank Act (Section 1502) requires companies to disclose the origin of conflict minerals from the DRC and neighboring countries, which has created fears of decreased investment and economic stigmatization in the region.
• The 1994 Rwandan genocide illustrates the 'regionalization' of conflict, where the flight of millions of refugees into neighboring countries led to the militarization of camps and the subsequent destabilization of the DRC.

APA

Githaiga, N. (2011). Dimensions régionales des conflits dans les Grands Lacs. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2012AugDimensionsConflictGreatLakes.pdf

Chicago

Githaiga, Nyambura. Dimensions régionales des conflits dans les Grands Lacs. Institute for Security Studies, 2011. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2012AugDimensionsConflictGreatLakes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Githaiga |first1=Nyambura |title=Dimensions régionales des conflits dans les Grands Lacs |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2011 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2012AugDimensionsConflictGreatLakes.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{githaiga2011dimensions, author = {Githaiga, Nyambura}, title = {{Dimensions régionales des conflits dans les Grands Lacs}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2011}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2012AugDimensionsConflictGreatLakes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }