1999 United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Republic of the Congo

Attachments

• Download Report (PDF | 1.33 MB)

JULY 1999
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 CONTEXT

After a short-lasted period of political and military stability that followed the 1997 conflict, the country replunged into civil war at the end of 1998. This new cycle of militia-driven civil strife is yet another reflection of the pattern of violence and social polarisation that has persisted since the early days of Congo’s independence. It also mirrors the extent to which the previous cycle of hostilities did not produce a sustainable solution to a profound social crisis.

Sporadic skirmishes between public forces and opposition-backed militia and para-military forces were observed in the Pool region of the country starting from August 1998. In early December 1998, the hostilities spread towards southern Brazzaville and subsequently affected the densely populated provinces of Niari and Bouenza.

Since then, the two largest Southern suburbs of Brazzaville (Bacongo and Makelekele) as well as the third and fourth largest cities of the country - Dolisie and Nkayi - have been heavily damaged and looted. Insecurity still reigns in the countryside where government forces are encountering a guerrilla activity of uncontrollable, ethnically-drawn militia. In spite of Government’s efforts to stabilise the military situation and to re-establish the state of law, acts of plunder, extortion, as well as widespread sexual violence continue to take place in many parts of the country in an atmosphere of impunity.

The impact of military activities is immense on a population that was just starting to recover from the effects of a devastating civil war (June-October 1997). Although it is still difficult to estimate the casualties in numeric terms, little doubt is left that many of the victims of the conflict were unarmed civilians. Over 13 percent (350,000 persons) of the country’s 2.7 million population was displaced locally or found refuge in the DRC and Gabon since the onset of this new round of hostilities. Fleeing fierce military activity and terror spread by militiamen, entire urban communities of Brazzaville, Nkayi, Dolisie and Linzolo remained in inaccessible forests for approximately six months, deprived of basic food and health services, and were repeatedly used as human shields by belligerents. Caught in the midst of a full-pledged war and exposed to famine and epidemics, a large segment of the displaced persons suffered significant losses in human lives. On 1 May 1999, following the improvement in the security situation, President Sassou Nguesso announced that the IDPs could return to the southern districts of Makelekele and Bacongo. By mid-June, over 60,000 persons have already returned, most of them in an extremely precarious health and nutritional condition.

The perpetuated civil war in the ROC has a degenerating impact on the Congolese civil society and marks a further degree of ethno-political polarisation. Apathy, resentment, profound trauma, in addition to urgent humanitarian needs - these are the characteristics of the war-affected population in the ROC. The country is on the verge of losing a whole generation of youngsters that have made of plunder and extortion a natural way of earning their lives.

1.2 Formulation of a Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP)

Necessity of a common humanitarian action plan was felt immediately after the breakout of combats in Bacongo and Makelekele (December 1998) and in the aftermath of a massive influx of IDPs into the centre of the city. No single UN Agency or any other humanitarian institution irrespective of size and capacity could provide adequate solutions to the problem of IDPs in the ROC capital. The immediate plan of action that was put in place for a two-month period was intended to draw resources from a variety of UN and non-UN sources to meet the urgent needs of approximately 50,000 IDPs. Apart from the in-country humanitarian team, the UN Agencies and NGOs-based in the neighbouring DRC contributed to the mobilisation of necessary means and implementation of humanitarian interventions. The continued degradation of the humanitarian situation and lack of international attention to the ROC crisis have prompted the relief community to build a consensus around the humanitarian strategy described in this document. The actors who participated in the development of this strategy are UNHCR, WFP, OCHA, WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, FAO, UNESCO, UNFPA, ICRC, IFRC, Congolese Red Cross, MSF/France, ACTED, Caritas, IRC, French Cooperation, European Union’s Delegation, ECHO and ROC’s Ministry of Health and Humanitarian Action.

Two committees have been established to monitor the implementation of the strategy: one at decision-level consisting of the HC/ROC and Donor representatives, and the other at operational-level including OCHA, UNICEF, WFP, ICRC, IFRC, ACTED and Caritas.

The promotion of a progressive return and reintegration of IDPs, demobilisation of combatants and protection of returnees’ rights as a means of contributing to the restoration of stability in the ROC and overcoming the fractionalisation of the Congolese society, constitute the rationale of the present CHAP. The UN assistance strategy will, therefore, be articulated around the following pillars:

• Support to the return and reintegration of approximately 350,000 displaced persons to their communities of origin;
• Promote a combined and coherent process of demilitarisation of militiamen of all fractions through immediate demobilisation of an estimated 15,000 youths.

The expected result being a stabilised and peace-oriented environment in the areas of return, conducive to the efforts of the Government and its development partners towards establishing a state of law.

1.3 Common Humanitarian (Long-Term) Goals

The relatively small size of its population, the positive balance between the demographic and economic growths, richly available natural resources, high level of urbanisation and positive ratio of industrial over agricultural production, rather high educational standards and literacy of the population make ROC a potentially prosperous country. The political and military troubles that ravage the country since the early 1990s have negatively impacted its achievements in the field of development and the population’s well being. It is believed, however, that in case of a sustained political stability and timely humanitarian assistance followed by structural, multi- and bilateral aid, the urgent humanitarian needs will not persist or become chronic in character. If the international community succeeds in stabilising the movement of populations in the ROC and containing the impact of the life-threatening circumstances, such as inadequate feeding, lack of health care and uncontrolled use of arms within the forthcoming five to six months, the standard of living enjoyed by the ROC’s population in the early 1990s could be restored by the year 2001-2002. The goals for the next three years are, therefore, defined as follows:

• Diminished malnutrition levels in the ROC, through economic recovery of the population of Pool and other food producing areas (distribution of improved seeds, vaccination of life-stock, rehabilitation of feeder-roads and marketing infrastructure);
• increased coverage of the population of the ROC by primary health services, through rehabilitation of health infrastructure in Brazzaville, Dolisie, Nkayi, Linsolo and rehabilitation/construction of health centres in Pool and Bouenza provinces;
• re-establishment of the pre-war standards of poliomyelitis control and establishment of a country-wide cholera prevention mechanism (vaccination, rehabilitation of sanitation facilities, support to establishment of local capacity to produce water-treatment chemicals);
• demilitarisation and national reconciliation of the Congolese society, through re-integration of demobilised militiamen into the civil society (vocational training, income generation, job creation); peace education; promotion of respect for human rights (support to creation of an equitable judicial system; support to independent media) and increase of participation (electoral process);
• improved enrolment of children in primary education (rehabilitation and construction of schools throughout the ROC); decreased drop-out rates;
• post-traumatic rehabilitation of victims of sexual violence and promotion of gender policies.

1.4 Relationship with other Humanitarian and Development Programmes

Although the number of humanitarian actors and donors present in the ROC is limited compared to the dimensions of the current crisis, a significant number of well-targeted activities by different partners are underway. While prioritising the UN interventions based on its institutional comparative advantage, the CHAP will take into account the activities and the resources mobilised by the Red Cross Movement to meet the IDP related humanitarian needs, humanitarian interventions envisaged under ECHO funding by international NGOs such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) (victims of sexual violence), MSF (health and epidemic control), ACTED (sanitation in return areas), CARITAS/CRS (reintegration of IDPs) and Action contre la Faim (ACF/France) (emergency nutritional support). Also the UN interventions described within the CHAP will seek to amplify the impact of multi- and bilateral assistance programmes envisaged by the European Union (DG8) and French Cooperation in the fields of health, infrastructure rehabilitation and food security. The demobilisation programme presented by the UN system in this appeal is designed to be linked to longer-term reintegration initiatives already in the pipeline of bi-lateral and multilateral donors, most notably the French Government and the European Union. Both have planned vocational training initiatives and employment projects, which will benefit some of the youth enrolled in volunteer groups. UNDP will also re-activate in due course an ILO executed programme for the re-insertion of youth into the productive system. FAO will launch a programme for the reactivation of the agricultural sector.

While noting a certain engagement of the private sector into the assistance projects, the CHAP will refrain from accepting any contributions from parties whose neutrality / impartiality vis à vis the ongoing conflict in the ROC is questionable.

1.5 Monitoring Plan

In order to optimise the decision-making process concerning the humanitarian assistance, a two-fold monitoring framework is in place in the ROC. The responsibility for the strategic monitoring of the operational scenarios and humanitarian principles is assumed by the Office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator/OCHA in consultation with OHCHR and ICRC. Quarterly bulletins summarising the developments and trends in the humanitarian space of the ROC will be issued for the attention of the Government, donor and humanitarian community. The operational monitoring matters are handled by a UN inter-agency task force, which will monitor the sectoral goals and compliance of agencies and partners with the cross cutting objectives. The task force will be submitting fortnightly analytical reports to the UN country management team and carry out monitoring and evaluation exercises if needed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary

1.1 CONTEXT
1.2 Formulation of a Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP)
1.3 Common Humanitarian Long-Term Goals
1.4 Relationship with other Humanitarian and Development Programmes
1.5 Monitoring Plan

Table I: Total Funding Requirements - By Appealing Agency and Sector

2. Previous Consolidated Appeal In Review

2.1 Financial Overview
2.2 Changes In The Humanitarian Situation
2.3 Lessons Learned

3. Humanitarian Context

3.1 Political, Economic, Security And Constraints Analysis
3.2 Problem Analysis, Response And Prospects

4. Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP)

• Scenario I
• Scenario II

4.1 Competencies And Capacity
4.2 Statement Of Humanitarian Principles
4.3 Sectors To Be Addressed And Operational Objectives By Sector

• Health/Nutrition
• Food Security and Agricultural Production
• Human Rights, Peace and Reconciliation
• Protection of Children and Primary Education
• Coordination

4.4 Criteria For Prioritisation

TABLE II. Listing Of Project Activities - By Appealing Agency

TABLE III. Listing Of Project Activities - By Sector

• Health and Nutrition
• Food Security and Agricultural Production
• Human Rights, Peace and Reconciliation
• Protection of Children and Primary Education
• Coordination

ANNEX I. InTernational federation of red cross and red crescent societies and international committee of the red cross

ANNEX II.ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Note: The full text of this appeal is available on-line in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format and may also be downloaded in zipped MS Word format.

in pdf * format

in zipped MS Word format

* Get the Adobe Acrobat Viewer (free)

Extra printed copies of this appeal are available by writing to:

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Complex Emergency Response Branch (CERB)
Palais des Nations
8-14, ave de la Paix
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Tel.: (41 22) 917 1234
Fax: (41 22) 917 0023
E-Mail: info@dha.unicc.org

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.