USAID/Central Africa builds foundations for durable peace in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), and the Republic of Congo by supporting community-led efforts to manage, mitigate, and prevent conflict, countering armed groups that prey on civilians, and providing holistic services to survivors of gender-based violence. USAID/Central Africa Peace and Security staff also work across the portfolio to ensure that investments in other development sectors are sensitive to complex conflict dynamics, advance peace processes, and Do No Harm.
PARTNERSHIP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EASTERN CONGO - TUJENGE
Mercy Corps
Democratic Republic of the Congo August 2021 - August 2026; $39,500,000
USAID adopts cross-sectoral, adaptive stabilization approaches to address drivers of conflict that gave rise to and continue to fuel the activities of the Allied Democratic Forces, Lord’s Resistance Army, and other armed groups and community militias. To support a transition from humanitarian assistance to development, Tujenge will build upon the United Nations and Government of DRC disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration community stabilization (DDR-CS) efforts governed by international best practices and strong political will.
COUNTER GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
IMA World Health
Democratic Republic of the Congo
November 2017 - November 2022; $15,295,259
USAID provides emergency and long-term assistance to sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) survivors and strengthens Congolese institutions to address GBV needs in the future. It has provided services, including medical care, psychosocial support, legal support, and vocational and literacy training to thousands of survivors in North and South Kivu. USAID invests in community awareness activities and information campaigns to promote women’s rights and community acceptance of rape survivors.
TANGANYIKA CONFLICT MITIGATION AND RECONCILIATION
Pact Inc.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
August 2018 - November 2024; $9.975 million
USAID utilizes a comprehensive cross-sectoral approach to strengthening resilience in Tanganyika that addresses both urgent and longer-term shocks and their associated stressors. The project enacts this approach to build lasting resilience in the Tanganyika province through four interconnected objectives: 1) Embed conflict mitigation, stabilization, and social cohesion measures in conflict-affected communities to reduce the impacts of shocks and stresses, 2) Strengthen the rural economy for equitable and sustainable agricultural- and market-led economic growth, 3) Identify, support, and integrate approaches that mitigate environmental shocks and stresses and 4) Increased availability of and access to services to build resilience capacities.
USAID’S OUR FOREST OUR FUTURE ACTIVITY (“USAID’S MSITU WETU, UMILELE WETU”)
Search for Common Ground Democratic Republic of the Congo June 2021 - June 2024; $4 million
The Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR) is a potential pillar of stability in the region but faces several threats such as illicit mining and poaching that sustain armed groups. To address these challenges, USAID’s Our Forest Our Future Activity (“USAID’s Msitu Wetu, Umilele Wetu”) will promote peacebuilding and stabilization in and around OWR using a People-to-People approach. It will a) illuminate the drivers of conflict and instability around the OWR, b) build community resilience to violence, exploitation, and armed group recruitment, c) create incentives for licit economic activity, and d) strengthen peaceful intercommunal ties in and around the OWR.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN CENTRAL AFRICA
Invisible Children
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic October 2017 - March 2023; $28 million
USAID builds community resilience to the violent and unstable conditions created by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and other armed groups operating in the remote areas of southeastern CAR and northeastern DRC. USAID continues to extend a network of high frequency radios across the region, creating an early warning network against the LRA and other security threats. It encourages defections from armed groups, supports communities in their efforts to reintegrate former combatants, and assists communities in recovery through trauma healing and investments in basic economic activities that create alternatives to armed violence.
E MA TERE PEOPLE TO PEOPLE PEACEBUILDING
Invisible Children Central African Republic
June 2021 - June 2024; $3.9 million
USAID will empower Central African youth peace builders in the Mbomou region of southeastern CAR. Responding to increasing armed group, interreligious, and other intercommunal violence, the activity will reinforce and leverage existing peacebuilding efforts. Youth peacebuilders will implement peace education initiatives and be supported by Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) and vocational training. These initiatives will nonviolently counteract local hate speech and armed group efforts, contributing to increased social cohesion between communal groups.
ARTISANAL MINING AND PROPERTY RIGHTS PROGRAM
Tetra Tech
Central African Republic
September 2018 – September 2023; $9.8 million
USAID addresses complex land and resource governance challenges in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector in CAR, focusing primarily on diamonds and to some extent on gold, to promote legal, responsible supply chains and strengthen social cohesion in mining areas. The program helps the government of CAR improve compliance with the Kimberley Process.
ITA NA ITA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE PEACEBUILDING
Catholic Relief Services Central African Republic
Aug 2018 - Jun 2022; $2.5 million
USAID helps the six communities in the fragile prefecture of Lobaye to build mutual understanding, trust, empathy, and social and economic ties across religious and ethnic lines. After years of violence and displacement, USAID is engaging communities to expand savings and entrepreneurial skills to manage personal financial affairs and build socioeconomic networks. Together with its local partner the Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission Lobaye, USAID works with local leaders, business cooperatives, and youth to institute conflict management strategies to resolve identity-based conflicts effectively, equitably, and peacefully.
BISALU BIA KIDZUNU BIA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE PEACEBUILDING
Catholic Relief Services Republic of Congo
May 2021 - April 2023; $1.2 million
USAID strengthens resilience and reduces the likelihood and intensity of future intra- and inter-group violence through trauma healing, increasing social cohesion, combatting discrimination, and providing basic financial services to marginalized populations in the Pool Region of the Republic of Congo.
