Contested ‘commune rurales’: Decentralisation and the (violent) struggle for public authority in the Democratic Republic of Congo
| Published date | 01 July 2024 |
| Author | Karen Büscher,Stephanie Perazzone,Jeroen Cuvelier,Stephane Lumbu,Espoir Rwakira,Paul Bulambo,Chrispin Mvano Yabauma,Godefroid Muzalia |
| Date | 01 July 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13309 |
84
|
Global Policy. 2024;15(Suppl. 4):84 –96.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/gpol
1 | INTRODUCTION: THE
COMMUNE RURALE: A
CONTESTED STATUS
The creation of the commune rurale fell
victim to hatred and political manipulation,
but it was the great need of the people of
Minembwe because it is inadmissible to
have an administrative office more than
100 km away as a basic administration in a
decentralized entity. The area is landlocked
without any state services and is comp letely
disconnected from all the country's devel-
opment programs: no justice, no security…
so […] people or the citizens were delighted
with this creation of the commune. It's good
news, it's like freedom for someone who
was locked up by a geographical reality
and also by the ill- will of the men who head
administrative entities.
(President of Minembwe Civil Society,
Minembwe)
The creation of the commune rurale of
Minembwe has been fiercely contested
by the majority of the population here.
This explains why until today there is all
this violence here in the Hauts Plateaux.
Thousands of people have been murdered,
shot, or raped. Entire villages and socio-
economic infrastructures were burnt down,
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contested ‘commune rurales’: Decentralisation and the
(violent) struggle for public authority in the Democratic
Republic of Congo
KarenBüscher1 | StephaniePerazzone2 | JeroenCuvelier1 |
StephaneLumbu3 | EspoirRwakira4 | PaulBulambo5 |
ChrispinMvanoYabauma6 | GodefroidMuzalia4
Received: 4 Novem ber 2022
|
Revised: 31 Octobe r 2023
|
Accepted: 13 Novembe r 2023
DO I: 10 .1111/17 58- 589 9.13 309
© 2024 Durham Univer sity and John Wiley & Son s Ltd.
1Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
2University of G eneva, Geneva,
Switzerland
3Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi,
Democratic Republic of the Congo
4ISP Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic
Republic of the C ongo
5ISDR Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic
Republic of the C ongo
6Independent Reseacher, Goma,
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Correspondence
Karen Büscher, Con flict Research Group,
Ghent University, Sint Pietersnieuwstraat
41, 9000 Ghent, Belgiu m.
Email: karen.buscher@ugent.be
Funding information
Conflict Rese arch Programme, UK Aid;
Fonds Wetenscha ppelijk Onderzoek,
Grant/Award Numb er: G0B7821N
Abstract
This article explores how decentralisation policy and specifically the establish-
ment of communes rurales in DR Congo turned into a profoundly destabilising
juncture, shaking existing governance arrangements. In particular, we examine
how this has led to a reshuffle of power and a renegotiation of public authoritiy.
By analysing the impact of decentralisation on the construction of and competi-
tion over public authority in three Congolese towns – Rubaya, Minembwe and
Fungurume – we demonstrate how decentralisation is deeply politicised, with
conflicting governance actors mobilising their power in an attempt to secure
their claim to public authority. We argue that the establishment of communes
rurales in eastern and southeastern DRC should be therefore understood as
a strongly destabilising moment, changing the access of governance actors
to resources and repertoires from which they build and legitimise their public
authority. Depending on the specific context of the local political arena and its
entanglements with larger struggles for power and co ntrol, this destabilising mo -
ment bears the potential for (violent) conflict. As such, we conclude that de-
centralisation has failed to live up to its promises of stabilit y and peace while
generating new sets of political fault lines and a re- activation of (violent) conflict.
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