FBA’s work with the DR Congo

After decades of war and with millions of people displaced, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to face immense challenges. The FBA supports a range of processes and actors that lay the foundation for a more peaceful future.

Women, Peace and Security

More than 100 armed groups remain active in the eastern parts of the country. The security situation has deteriorated sharply in recent years, and the DRC’s neighbouring states have played both stabilising and destabilising roles. A very weak state apparatus, poor governance, and the negative effects of climate change have all contributed to low resilience to conflict and crisis.

Pervasive gender inequality makes the DRC one of the most difficult countries in the world to be a woman. As the security situation worsens, women are disproportionately affected, both through increased exposure to gender-based violence and as a result of forced displacement.

In 2017, the FBA launched a peacebuilding programme in the DRC to train Congolese representatives from government institutions and civil society working in the conflict-affected eastern regions in inclusive peacebuilding.

The programme focuses on integrating a gender perspective into peace and security efforts, for example, by addressing the distinct security needs of different groups and promoting women’s participation and influence. Through dialogues and capacity-building for key actors, the FBA has supported the development of the DRC’s new national action plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

Youth, Peace and Security

Young women and men make up a large share of the population, yet their opportunities to participate in political processes and shape their own future remain limited. At the same time, young people face restricted access to education and employment. Some are at risk of being exploited or pressured to join the army or armed groups as a means of survival.

The FBA supports the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, aiming to promote meaningful youth participation in peace and decision-making processes. This includes support for the development and implementation of a national action plan on Youth, Peace and Security in the DRC, in cooperation with both state and non-state actors.

The work, conducted at national and provincial levels, aligns with the global guidance on national implementation of the YPS agenda, developed by the FBA together with UN partners, member states and youth organisations.

Climate and Conflict

With its vast rainforests and strategic minerals, the DRC is a key country in the global fight against climate change and for the green transition.

At the same time, local populations are already suffering from changing rainfall patterns, leading to both droughts and floods. This has increased climate-related security risks, putting further pressure on the country’s fragile social, economic, ecological, and political systems. Combined with weak state institutions, the effects of climate change risk exacerbating existing conflicts.

The FBA works to integrate climate-related security risks into peace and stabilisation efforts in eastern DRC, where climate change worsens tensions linked to land scarcity, internal displacement, and overexploitation of natural resources.

By bringing together state and non-state actors from the security and environmental sectors, as well as local peacebuilders in North and South Kivu, the FBA promotes joint analysis, knowledge exchange, and collaboration on the links between climate and security.

This work has enhanced understanding of the connections between climate, security, and conflict, and contributed to the development of strategies to address these risks.It has also improved cooperation between civil society and government institutions, supporting long-term solutions for sustainable peace and stability in the region.

Read more in the publication Climate-Related Security Risks in Eastern DRC.

Disarmament of Foreign Armed Groups in Eastern DRC

Since 2022, the FBA has cooperated with the United Nations to counter violence and armed groups in eastern DRC. This has included strengthening coordination and dialogue within a working group involving the five neighbouring countries: Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The initiative aims to facilitate disarmament and reintegration into civilian life in their home countries for members of foreign armed groups in eastern DRC. It also seeks to develop methods to prevent young people from being recruited into such groups.

The FBA has contributed to improving the group’s understanding of disarmament and reintegration processes, as well as their commitment to concrete action. The cooperation among these five neighbouring states has also created better conditions for engaging directly with foreign armed groups in the DRC to persuade them to lay down their weapons and return home.

Research Cooperation

The FBA conducts a research project on gender aspects of climate security at the local level in eastern DRC.

The project involves researchers based in North and South Kivu in both the planning and implementation of activities. This has helped ensure that research findings reach practitioners in the fields of environment and stabilisation.

In addition to conducting its own research, the FBA engages with leading scholars specialising in the DRC’s conflict dynamics through its research working groups. The FBA maintains regular contact with these experts to ensure that its operations are grounded in evidence.