Non-Military Strategies for Civilian Protection in the DRC

The DRC is a very complicated place. The region is plagued by long histories of multiple inter-ethnic conflicts, genocide, crimes against humanity, and several recent invasions. Dozens of armed groups range from self-protection community militias to organized-crime/bandits to large-scale armies with political aspirations. There are complex regional relationships with many neighbors, illegal cross- border trafficking in minerals, no rule of law, massive corruption; almost no state function; cyclical patterns of violence and vengeance. The list of issues seems almost endless.