Fragile states are risky environments. Many states fail in their responsibilities to their citizens but those states which are fragile, failed or weak are particularly liable to render their citizens vulnerable. Failures of authority or legitimacy can lead to the emergence of significant organised violence; the impact of this can then be compounded by the failure of the state to protect its citizens, especially minorities.

La recherche sur les politiques alimentaires au service de la réduction de la pauvreté et de la faim

Résumé

At a critical time for the region's minerals trade companies must undertake supply chain checks and put responsible sourcing into practise

Global Witness' investigation last month in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) revealed high-level military involvement in the region's minerals trade. A briefing published today outlines findings from research carried out in DRC's North and South Kivu provinces, Burundi and Rwanda in March and April 2013.

The key findings are:

Progress shows that stunting in children can be defeated – UNICEF

DUBLIN, 15 April 2013 – A new UNICEF report issued today offers evidence that real progress is being made in the fight against stunted growth – the hidden face of poverty for 165 million children under the age of five. The report shows that accelerated progress is both possible and necessary.

Par Prosper Nzekani Zena

Points Saillants

• Malgré des succès louables, quelques initiatives de désarmement, de démobilisation et de réintégration (DDR) incomplètes ou mal conçues ont été les facteurs clés du phénomène fréquent de la reprise des conflits en Afrique.

• La réintégration est la composante la plus complexe et la plus critique du DDR, mais celle à laquelle est accordée néanmoins la priorité la plus basse.

SUMMARY

By Prosper Nzekani Zena

• Notwithstanding laudable successes, incomplete or poorly conceived disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) initiatives have been key factors to high rates of conflict relapse in Africa.

• Reintegration is the most complex and critical yet least prioritized facet of DDR.

• The decision to integrate former militias into the national army is typically a political expediency that impedes military professionalism and increases the likelihood of human rights abuses and instability.

The Beginning

Over the past twenty years, the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) has evolved into an organisation that successfully promotes reflection, education and intervention in African conflicts.