Internally Displaced Persons: Agreement on Ending Hostilities in the Republic of Congo

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Internally Displaced Persons: Agreement on Ending Hostilities in the Republic of Congo

Implementations

Internally Displaced Persons – 2000

Over 800,000 people were displaced in the Republic of Congo as of 1998.1 As soon as the accords were signed in November and December 1999, displaced individuals started to return to their communities. Nevertheless, by the end of 1999, there were still 650,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).2 With the termination of conflict, the Republic of Congo faced a humanitarian crisis. Those displaced had never received humanitarian support.3

By the end of 2000, the number of IDPs had declined to 125,000.4

  1. Robert Muggah, “The Anatomy of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration in the Republic of Congo,” Conflict, Security & Development 4(1): 21-37 (2004): 22.
  2. Ibid., 22.
  3. “End to civil war in Republic of Congo creates humanitarian crisis,” Associated Press, February 24, 2000.
  4. Robert Muggah, “The Anatomy of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration in the Republic of Congo.”

Internally Displaced Persons – 2001

Over the years the security situation improved, especially with the initiation of a follow-up committee seeking to identify, disarm, and demobilize the combatants. A project was launched by the UNDP with the IOM at the request of the government, which aimed to disarm and reintegrate ex-combatants and provide training and micro-projects. The program was also supported by the World Bank’s five million dollar credit support to the newly formed Haut Commissariat pour la Démobilisiation et Reinsertion des ex-Combatant in July 2001. These programs were important given the displacement caused by sporadic violence as well as the displacement of former combatants. However, sporadic violence made displacement more frequent, and by the end of 2001 there were 139,000 IDPs.1

  1. Ibid.

Internally Displaced Persons – 2002

The security situation deteriorated with the constitutional referendum in January 2002. Ntsiloulous combatants, as well as a group affiliated to the Ntsiloulou leader, Ntoumi, were involved in several violent activities, including a Ninja rebel group’s attack on a train in April 2002. This led to an additional 75,000 displacements internally.1 The spread of violence also led to the close of the humanitarian corridors used by international aid agencies. It was estimated that there were 68,000 IDPs by the end of 2002.2

  1. Ibid., 24.
  2. Ibid.

Internally Displaced Persons – 2003

Rebel attacks near the Loulombo railway station in the southern Republic of Congo led to the internal displacement of at least 50,000 individuals, according to a U.N. estimate.1 The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) completed a further aid distribution program for displaced people in the Republic of Congo. The ICRC offered help to some 10,000 IDPs.2

  1. “Republic of Congo rebels attack military train, killing 2,” Associated Press, February 7, 2003.
  2. “ICRC offers help to 10,000 displaced people in Republic of Congo,” Xinhua General News Service, July 16, 2003.

Internally Displaced Persons – 2004

No developments observed this year.

Internally Displaced Persons – 2005

No developments observed this year.

Internally Displaced Persons – 2006

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) referenced a government estimate that only 7,800 people remained displaced in the Pool region by 2006.

Internally Displaced Persons – 2007

No developments observed this year.

Internally Displaced Persons – 2008

No developments observed this year.

Internally Displaced Persons – 2009

The government estimate of displaced people did not change as of 2009.1 According to the final report of the Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Program (MDRP), there were an estimated 7,800 IDPs from 2006 to 2009 in the Republic of Congo.2

  1. “Peace and oil dividends fail to benefit remaining IDPs and other vulnerable populations,” Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), 2009, accessed February 27, 2012, http://www.internal-displacement.org.
  2. “MDRP Final Report: Overview of Program Achievements,” The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank, 2010, accessed March 7, 2012, http://mdrp.org/PDFs/MDRP_Final_Report.pdf.