Assessing Security Sector Reform and its Impact on the Kivu Provinces

This situation report evaluates the failure of security sector reform (SSR) and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), specifically focusing on the impact on the Kivu Provinces. It argues that the lack of progress in these areas, driven by a lack of political will from the Congolese government and poor international coordination, has contributed to the fragility of the peace process and the resumption of fighting in eastern DRC in October 2008.

• The security sector reform (SSR) and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) processes in the DRC have seen very little progress, with the national DDR programme being largely inactive for over two years due to donor concerns regarding its management.
• The Congolese army (FARDC) suffers from severe structural flaws, including a lack of command and control, corruption, and the widespread practice of collecting illegal taxes at checkpoints to generate local resources for commanders and soldiers.
• FARDC units are identified as primary perpetrators of human rights violations in the Kivu Provinces, including extra-judicial killings, plunder, illegal detention, and sexual assaults against civilians.
• The DRC government has resisted structural SSR components—such as oversight and command and control mechanisms—viewing them as 'imported policy' and preferring bilateral partnerships over multilateral approaches to maintain sovereignty.
• The Congolese government's master plan for army reform, presented at a February 2008 roundtable, outlines a 12-year process with short-term goals (2008-2010) to create a rapid reaction force, establish a legal framework, and complete transitional DDR and integration programmes.
• The resumption of fighting in October 2008 between the CNDP forces led by General Nkunda and the FARDC highlighted the failure of the Goma and Nairobi agreements and the inability of the Congolese army to maintain state authority in the east.

APA

Hoebeke, H., Boshoff, H., & Vlassenroot, K. (2008). Assessing Security Sector Reform and its Impact on the Kivu Provinces. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SITREPDRC261108.PDF

Chicago

Hoebeke, Hans, Henri Boshoff, and Koen Vlassenroot. Assessing Security Sector Reform and its Impact on the Kivu Provinces. Institute for Security Studies, 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SITREPDRC261108.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hoebeke |first1=Hans |last2=Boshoff |first2=Henri |last3=Vlassenroot |first3=Koen |title=Assessing Security Sector Reform and its Impact on the Kivu Provinces |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=26 November 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SITREPDRC261108.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hoebeke2008assessing, author = {Hoebeke, Hans and Boshoff, Henri and Vlassenroot, Koen}, title = {{Assessing Security Sector Reform and its Impact on the Kivu Provinces}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SITREPDRC261108.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }