Great Lake Refugee Crisis-Graded

8/4/2019 Great Lake Refugee Crisis-Graded

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The Great Lake Crisis

Being presented by Anjali, Deepak,Mrigendra


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The Event

Build up for the crisis came in the form of genocide in Rwanda in theprevious months

Within a day about 200,000 people entered into Tanzania from a singlecheck post.

On the other side of the country, 50000 people died in Caire of Cholera Around 10000 were killed of revenge killings in the forest

Because of Burundu crisis earlier there was some capacity for the newrefugees arriving.

1 million new refugees arrived in Goma city of Caire Testing times for the humanitarian agencies


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The Map


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The dilemma

Various dilemmas faced by UNHCR

Refugee camps had lots of genocide perpetrators.

Whether to withdraw from the operation or to continue was the biggestdilemma.

Refugee conventions were not followed

The camps had armed presence of interahemwe, Rwandan military

The camps were situated at sensitive borders.

Though the humanitarian challenge was severe, profiling of refugees should

have been done to filter out killers from innoncent people.


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The coverage of the event

Largely controlled reporting of the event

Many people in the U.K not too keen to know about what's happeningin obsure country like Rwanda

Media covered on South-Africa at that time

The country Borundi itself was facing huge crisis but not adequatelycovered and presented outside


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Thank You...


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Great lakes crisis-DemocraticRepublic of Congo


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Historical Background of Congo

Under the colonial rule of Belgium, gainedindependence in 1960.

Colonial interference in the Belgium

continued because of the economic interests. Secession plans for Katanga-a mineral rich

state of Congo was planned by Belgium

Mineral include Gold, Copper etc. Cold War Politics entered Africa


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Congo Crisis

Great lakes Humanitarian crisis had peaked in 1994

Goma city of Congo was the hub of humanitarian action

Congo herself as a state has suffered from issues like Conflict,Corruption and dictatorship

Joseph Mobutu ruled the country for three decades The new RPF government of Rwanda attacked Congo to tackle

the Hutu militias operating from that country.

Anti-Mobutu groups seized the opportunity and captured power,

Laurent Kabila was made president Rifts emerged within the groups, while Angola, Namibia and

Zimbabwe supported Kabila, Rwanda and Uganda backed therebel groups


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Between 1998 and 2002

The countries involved sign ceasefire in 1999.

UN force is authorised for overseeing ceasefirebut fighting continues between mainly

government and rebel groups and Uganda andRwandan forces

UN Panel-Conflict used as a tool by differentgroups for plundering resources like Gold,Diamond, timber and coltan used in makingmobile phones

Volcanic eruption near the city of Goma causes

large scale building collapse and misery


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The cost of the war

International Rescue committee(IRC) study in 2004published in Lancet(2006) states that 3.9 million peoplehave died in the conflict

Less than 2% of the deaths because of violence, most

because of the diseases which could have beenprevented.

Access to health care, lack of security cited as mainreasons for high mortality.

Further study in 2006-07 has raised the mortality figure to5.4 million excess deaths.

Majority of deaths because of infectious diseases,undernutrition, neo-natal, pregnancy related issues


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Continued

Population displacement,camp settings, socio economicconditions, health care infrastructure collapse, foodinsecurity all lead to deaths.

47% of all deaths were of children.

Public healthcare in many places has taken forms ofprivate and people are forced to pay for it

Spurious quality drugs from private companies

in circulation Education system struggling with quality issues,

human resource crunch

Secondarly level services further compromised

IASC l i f Cl h


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IASC evaluation of Cluster approachfollowed in Congo

Some of the positives were

The cluster approach helped in intra-cluster coordinationand information sharing

Humanitarian Coordinator's inclusion in the clusterapproach helped in having an overarching framework foroperations on field.

Staff were kept updated with progresses made in thehumanitarian field.

Networking, Information sharing amongst the differentagencies has improved.


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Continued

Some of issues of concern were

Standard operating procedures(SOPs) notclearly defined and the system needs furtherdecentralization.

Institutionalization of mechanisms needstrengthening.

Communication mechanisms were challenging

on many occasions. Close working of different agencies may some

times present a picture of they working with aparticular side and thus compromising their

neutrality.


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Continued...

In 1999, fighting countries signed peace accord called LusakaAccord

An important aspect of discussion was demand of withdrawal offoreign troops

In 2002, foreign troops were withdrawn

U.N and S.A sponsored talks between the ruling party and theother groups involved in conflict

As an important milestone for peace process, transitional

government was formed by all groups in 2003

Border security improved, DRC and Rwanda along with thehelp of other parties started verification process to check thethreats from elements of Interhamwe and ex-Far personnelpresent in those areas


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Continued...

U.S facilitated tripartite plus talks between the regional players

In 2006, elections were held for the first time

In 2007, DRC and Rwanda signed an agreement and decisionwas taken to not to support groups politically or with arms

Agreement signed between DRC and Uganda to remove LordResistance Army(LRA) from DRC


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The current times

UN and other Western countries tried to find agreementsto resolve the crisis in east Congo.

Rebel leader Laurent Nikunda, a major source of trouble inthe region, finally captured in 2009.

Conditions in east Congo still in fragile state which haspotential to destabilise peace in the great lakes area

The main reason being presence of armed forces in thearea

Armed groups operating in east


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Armed groups operating in eastCongo

Democratic forces for the Liberation of Rwanda(FDLR)

Former members of Interhamwe, Rwandan armed forces weregiven sanctuary in eastern Congo for many years

Attacks carried out against Rwanda and local congolese people

In the past support recieved support from Congolesegovernment and the army

Pressure being mounted now by UN,U.S and the europeancountries in the form of sanctions

National Congress for the Defence of People(CNDP)

Formerly led by Laurent Nkunda, stated its objective asprotecting the Tutsi population and fighting FDLR

Has weakened because of arrest of Nkunda


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Continued...The Allied Democratic Forces(ADF)

Ugandan Muslim rebel group with operations in Uganda andDRC

Congolese army crushed ADF but the war has left One hundredthousand people displaced.

Mai Mai Militia Congolese militia, no clear consistent political demands

Infamous for attacks on UN forces and mass rapes

The Lord's Resistance Army

Ugandan rebel group present in many countries in the regionincluding Congo. Government of Sudan nurtured theorganisation

Over the years, has weakened in strength

Great Lake Refugee Crisis-Graded

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